


Crows and Lesser Gods

by Ignisentis, odetteandodile



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Ancient Greece, Corvids Are The Best, Fluff and Angst, Fluffy Then Angsty with a Happy Ending, Goats with Fun Names, Implied Sexual Content, Intentionally Anachronistic Dialogue, M/M, Mentions of Background Clint Barton/Laura Barton, Mentions of Background Natasha Romanov/Bruce Banner, Mentions of Background Sam Wilson/Maria Hill, Mentions of Non-Con in Ancient Greek Mythological Context, Mentions of Slavery in Ancient Greek Society, playing fast and loose with Greek mythology, post-serum Steve, pre-serum steve
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-08
Updated: 2019-03-08
Packaged: 2019-11-13 22:16:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 26,132
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18040088
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ignisentis/pseuds/Ignisentis, https://archiveofourown.org/users/odetteandodile/pseuds/odetteandodile
Summary: Steve takes the herd back to the same spot the next day in his bid to prove Sam wrong. He spends the entire day there and doesn’t see anyone else. Just as he’s about to take the goats back home, a man with shoulder-length brown hair, eyes like the stormy sea, and a bronze metal arm pops into existence a few feet away from him.“Hi. Have you lost anything today?” the man asks.Steve screams.The man screams back.Steve picks up a rock and throws it at the guy, hitting him in the forehead. “Ow, the fuck!” the man shouts. Steve bends down to get another rock to throw, but the man is gone again by the time he straightens up.Steve sighs. He’s never going to hear the end of this from Sam.*****Ancient Greece AU. Bucky is the God of Lost Things, a lesser god. His best friend is a crow that he can understand. Steve is a spirited goat herder. Apollo meddles a lot and looks like a young Robert Redford. Hilarity (and some angst) ensues!





	1. Yogurt

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome to my entry for the 2018 Stucky AU Big Bang! This is my first time participating in this challenge, and I had a blast!
> 
> This fic wouldn't have been possible without the assistance of a number of people:
> 
> ** Thank you to the Mods for running an excellent challenge! You all did an amazing job.
> 
> ** A MASSIVE thanks to my AMAZING artist odetteandodile!! Please do yourself a favor and go check out their gorgeous art at the link given below. It was so great working with you!!!!
> 
> ** Thank you to my incomparable beta, kitt3nz, who patiently tolerates my inability to use the proper dash and calls me out when my characters start getting extra and is always right. You rock!
> 
> ** Blessings upon your house to paperstorm for help polishing up some key scenes and for pacing suggestions. You, too, were always right!
> 
> A few other notes:
> 
> * I've never been to Greece, so while I researched locations the best I could, please excuse any inaccuracies about the landscape and such.
> 
> * I've also never herded goats, so if anyone has and finds some major flaws in my goat behavior, please let me know!
> 
> * Picture a young Robert Redford as Apollo, okay? You're welcome. ;)

**Art Masterpost For Crows and Lesser Gods can be found[HERE!!](http://odette-and-odile.tumblr.com/post/183302319138/art-from-my-collaboration-with-the-lovely-and) **

Please go check it out and give Odette-and-Odile some much-deserved love!

 

 

The sun. Is high enough. In the sky. So it is time. To see my friend. And give him. What I found. He will smile. And scritch my feathers. Just how I like. And for a moment. He will be happy. And all will be well.

 

*****

Bucky wakes when the sun is three fingers high in the sky, like he always does, the world still and quiet. He sits up in bed and reaches his hands over his head and stretches the sleep out of his bones and muscles, rubbing absently at the scars across his clavicle. He curses as his neck cracks, throwing his blanket down the bed as he climbs off it. He stretches again as he makes his way over to his clothes shelf and pulls down a chiton, fastening it at the shoulder with his favorite pin and wrapping his favorite leather belt around his waist. He gathers up his hair and ties it up loosely with a thin strip of supple leather.

When his stomach growls, he makes his way across his small house to the kitchen and finds fruit, bread, cheese, olives, wine, and cool water from a mountain spring waiting for him on his table. Living on Olympus chafes, but there are some pretty amazing perks. Like the food that magically appears before mealtimes or whenever he wants some. And the view. The view is something special, all right. Bucky makes himself a breakfast plate and carries it back across the house to his balcony, settling in on his favorite chaise to watch the sun glittering on the sea in the distance.

Bucky smiles when Crow lands on the balcony railing, squawking awkwardly around an object she’s holding in her beak. “Hey, Crow,” Bucky says and holds out his metal arm. Crow flaps over, lands on Bucky’s forearm, and waits for Bucky to hold out his other hand, palm up.

“What do you have here?” Bucky asks as Crow drops an item into his hand and caws expectantly. “You are a good girl, Crow, thank you.” Crow preens a little and hops onto Bucky’s thigh, bumping his metal hand with her head. Bucky huffs and starts scritching the feathers around Crow’s beak just how she likes. Crow closes her eyes and accepts the scritching happily. Bucky smiles down at her and keeps scritching.

He holds up the object Crow brought him. It’s a carved figurine, made from limestone, in the shape of a ram. One of the horns is broken off, and the carving is crude, but it was special to someone once, Bucky knows. The right front leg is more worn than the others, like someone used to rub that one for luck or as a nervous habit. Bucky runs his fingers over it gently to see if he can get an echo of the owner. Nothing. It’s a forgotten object, at least for now.

“Thank you, Crow, it’s lovely. Let’s find a place for it and then you can show me where you found it.”

Bucky stands up and Crow adjusts so she doesn’t fall off Bucky’s arm, gripping onto the metal harder than she would on Bucky’s flesh arm. They walk over to the main living space in Bucky’s house where the forgotten objects live. The walls in this room are covered in little nooks and shelves and cubbies carved into the thick stucco walls of the house. There are lines strung between hooks on the wall full of leather and cloth and furs.

Bucky hums softly when he finds the shelf with the sheep carvings on it and adds the little ram to the collection. “Welcome home,” he tells the ram as he pats it on the head. Crow caws her approval. “Map time,” Bucky tells Crow, who caws her approval again and flaps off Bucky’s arm and over to his table, perching on the back of a chair.

Bucky walks over to a long, narrow shelf in the wall, pulls out the map, and brings it over to the table, where he unrolls it. It’s made of the highest quality cow vellum and is almost the size of the entire hide. On it is a detailed map of Hellas and the surrounding seas. Parts of the map are lightly shaded in gray, and small pictures dot the land in shimmering gold.

“Where did you find the ram?” Bucky asks. Crow hops onto the map, careful not to damage it with her talons, and touches her beak gently to the island of Naxos. “Good girl,” Bucky says as he strokes Crow’s feathers. Crow preens a bit before hopping off to pilfer the grapes from Bucky’s fruit bowl.

Bucky waves his hand over Naxos, his fingers glowing bright, and a tiny picture of the ram is etched in gold on the map. He thanks Crow once again before rolling the map back up and putting it away. He leaves Crow to the grapes and picks up his needlework basket, taking it out onto the balcony to watch the sun rising in the sky.

Crow joins him a few minutes later, a bunch of grapes in her beak. Bucky puts down his sewing and takes the grapes from Crow, plucking off the bottommost grape and throwing it off the balcony. Crow swoops after it and comes back for more, cawing happily as she flies.

They’re halfway through the bunch when Crow lands on the balustrade and cocks her head and listens. “Time to work?” Bucky asks when Crow looks back at him. “Caw,” she crows sadly. “Go, then, and fly true and strong and safe.” He throws another grape off the balcony and watches Crow catch it and fly higher up the mountain to go get orders from her master.

*****

The morning’s grapes are gone, and Crow doesn’t have work yet, so Bucky unrolls his map and calls her over. “I feel like going on an adventure today, Crow. Where should I go?” Crow takes her time looking over the map before touching her beak to an island in the Aegean called Sifnos. Bucky hums. “Good choice. Do you want to come with me?” Crow caws. “Okay, hold on.” He holds out his metal arm and Crow hops on. Once she’s settled, Bucky close his eyes and transports them to Sifnos.

The sun is bright on the island, the azure water sparkling as it laps onto the sandy beach. Bucky looks around to make sure there’s no one in sight before popping into existence on the beach close to the tide line. Crow caws happily and starts flying around looking for shiny pebbles or interesting shells. Bucky watches her fly for a while and turns to take in the island. The mountains start close to the shore and rise steeply, green scrub popping against the brown of the sun-baked earth. Bucky can’t see any huts, but he knows people live on this island. He must have brought them to the windward side.

They spend a few hours exploring. Crow flies to the other side of the island and tells Bucky about the little hamlets she finds there, about the people tending their sheep and goats and gardens. Bucky smiles wistfully and shakes his head when she mentions that he can come look, too, maybe talk to some people. Bucky takes them back to his house after that, and Crow caws at him reproachfully.

Bucky brings his map to the table and unrolls it. He fetches a sharpened charcoal and lightly shades in the island of Sifnos. Crow caws at him. “I know, girl. Maybe one day. Thanks for coming with me today. Did anything else interesting happen?” Crow caws for a while. “Sounds like you had fun with that little girl. I’m sorry her mom chased you away. You know how superstitious humans are.” Crow caws softly, and Bucky strokes down her back in long, soothing motions.

“It’s getting late. You’d better get back. I’ll see you soon, okay?” Crow butts her head against Bucky’s face, startling a laugh out of him, and flies away.

*****

Crow finds a plain gold ring a week later and brings it to Bucky. He puts it on the ring shelf and leaves the map out after he marks the ring’s location. “Want to go on another adventure today?” Crow caws happily and turns her attention to the map. She touches her beak to another island, Thasos this time. “What’s with you and islands lately?” Bucky muses. “Thasos it is. You ready to go?” Crow caws and hops onto Bucky’s metal arm.

They pop into a wooded area on the side of a small mountain, the space between the trees filled with tall grasses and bushes and saplings. Crow immediately takes to the air to scout out the terrain. Bucky hears goats bleating in the distance, a counterpoint to the buzzing insects and chirping birds. He starts picking his way down the mountainside, setting his feet carefully even though the terrain isn’t very steep. There are rocks scattered here and there, and Bucky would rather not step on one and go careening down the mountain, thank you very much.

The sun is hot but the breeze is cool, and Bucky can see the sea from the mountainside, and it’s all so lovely, pastoral, and distracting that Bucky doesn’t realize how close he’s come to the flock he heard earlier until he comes face-to-face with a goat. The goat takes one look at Bucky and bleats its stupid head off.

“Shh!” Bucky hisses, to no avail. The wretched thing bleats even louder, a smug look on its face, as Bucky waves his hands around to try and get the thing to shut up already before its bleating makes the herder come running. “Zeus’s balls, will you just be quiet already!” Bucky hisses again. The goat does not quiet down. Bucky hears Crow laughing at him as she flies overhead. “Not helping!” he hisses a third time, freezing as he hears a deep voice call out, “Yogurt? What’s wrong, buddy? You need some help?”

The goat — Yogurt, apparently — bleats again, and Bucky glares at it as he moves behind a tree, hoping the herder won’t see him. “There you are,” the herder says as he comes into view, and oh. Oh, no, he’s _beautiful._ Bucky stares at the man, golden hair glowing in the sunlight, his body small but strong, and that _voice;_ it’s deep and rich and wholly unexpected from such a lithe frame, and it sends a shiver down Bucky’s spine. He’s never been so captivated by _anyone_ before, including the time Cupid accidentally shot him with an arrow. Bucky shifts to get a better view and steps on a twig, the sharp crack echoing off the rocks as it snaps in half. The herder freezes and looks up the mountainside.

“Is someone there?” he calls. “Hello?” Bucky holds his breath. The breeze picks up. Crow circles quietly overhead. No one moves a muscle. Even Yogurt is finally silent.

“I can see your chiton blowing from behind the tree, you know,” the herder calls out.

Bucky looks down and curses when he notices it’s true. The herder shields his eyes as sunlight glints off Bucky’s metal arm when he raises it for Crow, who comes diving down to perch on it. Once she’s secure, Bucky takes them back to his house, where they land in a heap on the floor. Crow opens her mouth but is cut off by Bucky. “Not one caw,” he says, “not one gods-damned caw, Crow.”  Crow shuts her beak with a clack and goes off to search for some grapes, merriment glistening in her eyes.

*****

“Huh,” Steve says succinctly. He’s _sure_ there was a man behind the tree not twenty feet away from him, but then there was the glare of the sun and the crow, and then they’d just...disappeared. He’d climbed up to where he swore the man had been, but there was no trace of him. “That’s...odd. Don’t you think that’s odd, Yogurt?” The goat looks at Steve impassively and goes back to munching on a shrub. “I swear there was someone there. No, I _know_ there was someone there.” Yogurt continues eating. “Fine, I see how it is. Keep your counsel, then. I’ll just ask Sam what he thinks this evening. Come on, let’s get you back with the herd.” Steve tugs on the goat, who takes one last bite of the shrub and follows along.

Steve tells his family about the incident over dinner. His mother excuses herself to go pray to her household gods. Clint and Natalia exchange nervous looks. Sam just says, “you’d better go find something to sacrifice because that was a supernatural being, and I sure as Hades don’t want you to get smote anytime soon.” Steve just rolls his eyes.

“Come on, you know that’s all just superstitious nonsense. The gods aren’t real.”

Steve can hear his mother gasp from her bedroom. “Are you _trying_ to get yourself turned into a rock? Take it back!” Nat admonishes.

“Come on, guys. Religion is just a way to explain the unexplainable in everyday life that’s been co-opted by the theocracy to keep people from asking too many questions about their own status in life, to keep them scared, and to keep them from rising up and overthrowing their oppressors.”

Nat groans as she folds her arms on the table and drops her head into them. Clint looks like he’s torn between comforting Nat and agreeing with Steve. “You’re going to regret saying that when whatever it was you saw today comes back and zaps you with a giant bolt of lightning,” Sam says as he shakes his head.

“Sam, that’s not going to happen. It was probably just some random guy who ran away faster than I could track him and had a piece of metal in his hand and used it to confuse me. There is no chance I’m ever going to see him again.” Sam raises an eyebrow.

“No chance, Sam, I’m telling you.” Sam raises both eyebrows.

“Fine, you know what? I’ll take the goats back to the same place tomorrow and stay there all day. And when no one shows up, I get to gloat in your face all evening.”

“Deal,” Sam says as he shakes on it.

Steve takes the herd back to the same spot the next day in his bid to prove Sam wrong. He spends the entire day there and doesn’t see anyone else. Just as he’s about to take the goats back home, a man with shoulder-length brown hair, eyes like the stormy sea, and a bronze metal arm pops into existence a few feet away from him.

“Hi. Have you lost anything today?” the man asks.

Steve screams.

The man screams back.

Steve picks up a rock and throws it at the guy, hitting him in the forehead. “Ow, the fuck!” the man shouts. Steve bends down to get another rock to throw, but the man is gone again by the time he straightens up.

Steve sighs. He’s never going to hear the end of this from Sam.

*****

Steve tells Sam and Clint about his encounter that evening in their room, voice low to avoid Nat and his mother overhearing.

“So let me get this straight: you threw a rock at a supernatural being and hit him in the forehead with it?” Sam asks, trying to hold back a smile.

“Yeah.”

“Oh, man. You are so fucked, Steve. Well, it’s been nice knowing you,” Clint says.

Steve groans and flops back onto the bed.

*****

Crow squawks in alarm when Bucky pops back into his house bleeding from the forehead. “It’s fine. I tried to go visit that herder from yesterday, but I startled him and he threw a rock at me.” Crow stares at Bucky for a moment before she starts cackling at him. Bucky rolls his eyes and goes to get a cloth to wipe off the blood. By the time his face is clean, the wound is healed and he’s laughing, too.

Bucky spends the next few days pottering around his terraced garden. It’s a small plot, and since all the food he can ever want or need just magically appears in his kitchen at mealtimes, he doesn’t actually need to grow anything. But he loves his garden, loves tending to the plants and watching them grow. He knows most of them wouldn’t grow this high on a mountain without him using a little of his godly powers to keep them healthy and strong, but that’s between him and the plants.

He has giant pots of flowers and herbs — marjoram, thyme, oregano, and mint. There are two potted olive trees, and a pergola with a grape vine growing up and across it on the terrace abutting his house. The terrace opens onto three small garden plots, each one further up the mountain than the last, separated by stone walls that hold back the earth. He grows grains and vegetables and flowers for his honeybees, who flit happily from flower to flower, enchanted to withstand the cold and the strong winds of the mountainside. Apollo had laughed at Bucky the first time he came to check on Crow and saw his gardens, but Apollo is a dick sometimes, so who cares what he thinks?

Bucky knows he’s gardening to avoid thinking about his herder. Well, not _his_ herder, but in the moments when Bucky lets himself be truly honest, he’d like him to be. Gardening is a piss poor distraction anyway, because all Bucky can do is think about the man with the golden hair and the deep voice, and when Bucky accidentally rips an entire mint plant right out of its pot, he has to concede that this was a bad idea. First he’s going to fix the mint, though. Then he can concede this was a bad idea.

Bucky goes back into his house and paces across the floor as he tries to decide what to do. On the one hand, he really wants to get to know that herder and see if there’s something there. Bucky’s entire body had lit up when he saw the man, in ways he hasn’t felt in...well, forever, if he’s being honest with himself. He knows he’s lonely and that he should try and make some friends besides Crow — it’s just that the other gods are assholes and humans are so fragile. It’s better to keep to himself. Right? Yeah.

Is it, though?

*****

Steve doesn’t see the man again for a week. He’s out with the herd all by his lonesome, until he isn’t. The man steps out from behind a tree while Steve is staring right at it, which is...disconcerting to say the least. He’s far enough away that Steve can see him but probably can’t hit him with another rock, which is a good strategy, all things considered.

The man is dressed simply but the cloth is clearly very fine, and it’s clean, as is his long hair. He gives a little wave with his metal hand and starts walking down the mountain toward Steve.

Who _is_ this guy? He just pops into existence with a metal arm and waves like it’s no big deal, and he’s unfairly hot, all muscled and tanned, and that jawline. Good gods, that _jawline._ One thing’s for sure, and that is he’s a man who is walking directly toward Steve and getting closer every second. _Okay, Steve. Think. Don’t panic._

The man stops a few feet away from Steve and asks, voice husky like it doesn’t get used much, “have you lost anything today?”

Steve panics. “Are you a god? Because if you are and you’re here to try and claim me or fuck me or something, let me tell you, pal, I do NOT consent to that. I refuse to be part of you and your kind’s patriarchal cult of entitlement, so you might as well just kill me now or transform me into a tree or swan or some other stupid thing that makes no sense because I promise that I will use every ounce of my strength to fight you.”

The man blinks.

Steve picks up a rock and throws it at the man, who sees it coming this time and sidesteps in time to avoid getting hit in the head.

“I’m not that kind of god,” he says.

Steve, another rock raised for throwing, pauses. “What?”

“I’m not that kind of god. I can’t do transformations and shit. No, I like my partners enthusiastically consenting. Not that I’ve found anyone who’s wanted to enthusiastically consent in a while, but. Wow, that is information you did not need to know. I’m going to stop talking now.”

Steve lowers his rock. “How long is a while?”

The guy crosses his arms, and Steve tries not to whimper at the flex of his triceps. “Definitely not talking about that.”

“Right. Sorry.”

The silence stretches between them.

“Sorry about the whole ‘you’re a rapist’ thing.”

The guy shrugs. “It’s okay. Not like you’re wrong about most of them.”

“What kind of god _are_ you, then?”

“I’m sorry?”

“You said you weren’t the kind who can do transformations. So what kind are you?”

“Oh. I’m the god of lost things.”

“Huh.”

“Yeah.”

“I wasn’t aware there even _was_ a god of lost things.”

Bucky sighs wearily. “Not many people are, really.”

The silence stretches between them again, even more awkward than before.

“So,” the man finally says, “have you lost anything today?”

“Uh, no.”

“Oh. Okay.”

If the silence were any more awkward, it would come alive and instantly be plunged into the depths of a horrific puberty, its voice cracking as it said “you too” when the server told it to enjoy its meal.

“Okay, bye,” the man says as he disappears right in front of Steve’s face.

*****

As soon as Bucky pops back into his house, he finds the nearest wall and bangs his head against it. Repeatedly. And then once more with feeling.

Crow finds him a few hours later sitting in a chair, his head cradled in his hands, staring into nothing. She hops onto his metal shoulder and unfolds her wing and pats Bucky gently on the shoulders. He sighs softly, so she does it again and again until he sits upright and takes a few deep, fortifying breaths.

“Thanks, Crow. You’re a good girl.” She caws in agreement and goes to find the grapes.

*****

My friend. Is sad. About something. But he is also. Determined. And more full of life. Than he has been. In ages. It is confusing. But it could. Be good. I will find out. Why he is like this. And help make. It good.

*****

Bucky frets for two days before going back to see the herder, who doesn’t even flinch when Bucky pops into view, so he’s going to consider that a good sign.

“Hi. Lost anything lately?”

“No,” says the herder. “Sorry.”

“That’s okay.”

The silence stretches between them again, broken only by the sound of a goat bleating in a repetitive pattern that’s getting louder and louder as it goes on until —

“Hades’s tits, that goat is loud. Are they always that loud?” Bucky asks, turning to face the herder. Who is staring at Bucky, mouth gaping. “What?”

“Did...did you just say ‘Hades’s tits’?” He asks, the corners of his mouth turning up like he’s trying to hold back a laugh.

Bucky thinks back a few seconds. “Y-yes. It seems I did.” He stands up straighter in case he has to defend himself and his choice of curses, but the herder just claps his hands together delightedly before slapping himself across the chest and throwing his head back as he bursts into laughter, and Bucky has never seen anything more ridiculously endearing in his long life, and wow, he is so _gone_ on this herder, so so gone that he’s even rambling nervously in his inner monologue, and he can’t seem to stop, nor can he stop watching the beauty that is his little herder and his boisterous laugh that’s doing all sorts of things to Bucky’s stomach and heart and seriously, please, someone come save him from himself already because this is just getting —

“That is the best thing I have _ever_ heard!”

Bucky smiles and shrugs a bit, and the herder just beams up at Bucky, and yeah. _So. Gone._

The herder chuckles a bit more. Bucky frowns when he hears a rasping sound as the herder takes a breath, and then a sort of wheezing, and suddenly the herder is gasping for breath, hands on his knees as he struggles for air. Bucky rushes to his side and wraps his arm around the herder’s chest and hauls him upright. He moves in front of the herder and puts his hands under the man’s armpits to hold him up. Looking him in the eye, Bucky says, “hey, look at me. Look at me!”

The herder struggles to look up but finally does. “Good. That’s good. Now breathe with me.” Bucky starts to inhale and exhale slowly, and the herder whines and wheezes as he fights for air. Bucky encourages him with soft praise, keeping his breaths long and slow. Eventually the herder begins to match Bucky’s breathing, and the worst of the breathing attack seems to pass.

“You okay?” he asks once the herder can breathe normally again.

The man nods. “Yeah. Thank you.”

Bucky nods. “What’s your name? It would be nice to stop calling you ‘herder’ in my head.”

The man snorts a little. “Stephanos. But you can call me Steve.”

“Steve,” Bucky grins. “It suits you.”

“What about you?”

“Oh. You can call me Bucky.”

Steve takes a moment to breathe some more before coughing a bit. Bucky moves toward him again, but Steve waves him off.

“Bucky, huh? That’s uh...I’ve never heard that name before. Can I call you that because it’s your name or just what you want me to call you? Oh, shit, are you secretly Zeus in disguise and you don’t want to blow your cover or something?”

“Ew, no,” Bucky frowns. “I’m not Zeus. I already told you I’m not that kind of god, remember?”

“Yeah, but you could be lying.”

“That’s fair, I guess. But I’m not. Lying, that is. Look, my name is really Iákōbos, but there are a million people with that name, so Bucky comes from Bucephalus, which is my middle name.”

“Bucephalus...like the horse?”

“Technically, I was born first, so Horse Bucephalus is like me, not the other way around.”

“Oh. Still. It has to be annoying that more people know the horse than know about you.”

“You know, it really is?”

Steve huffs out a laugh and Bucky smiles at him. Steve smiles back when he realizes laughing isn’t going to trigger another breathing episode.

They end up talking for a couple of hours as the goats graze and bleat and laze about. Steve waves goodbye and drives the herd back down the hill. Bucky watches until he’s out of sight, the setting sun bathing Steve in soft light. He’s so beautiful. Bucky _wants_ suddenly, what he’s not sure, and he barely knows Steve, but it doesn’t seem to matter. He wants to get to know him and let himself be known in return, and what a dangerous thought but he can’t stop thinking it. It should scare him, the depths of this desire, but instead he feels buoyant.

Bucky sighs happily and pops back home. Crow is there waiting when he gets there. She starts hopping around on the floor when she sees Bucky’s face, and he laughs and grabs his lyre and starts picking out a song. They hop and dance around, cawing and laughing together well into the night.

 

 


	2. Cedar

Steve finds himself looking forward to Bucky’s visits. He’s disappointed on days when Bucky doesn’t make it, though he knows Bucky has his own life and isn’t obligated to spend time with Steve or anything. Still, he finds he likes having something to hope for in the morning when he’s driving the herd to their daily grazing site.

Which just makes it worse the next time Bucky shows up and they end up sitting together in awkward silence. They talked for  _ hours _ the last time Bucky visited, so why the hell can’t Steve think of anything to say? This is terrible. What if this is the day Bucky decides that Steve is a waste of his godly time and never comes back? Why would he want to spend time with a goat herder anyway when he could be up on Olympus doing fun god things like drinking and...answering prayers and...fuck, maybe paying more attention when his family talked about religion shit would have been a good idea.

Steve sighs heavily and kicks his foot into the dirt in frustration. Bucky freezes beside him and then shoots up to his feet.

“You’re right, I’m sorry. I’ll go and stop bothering you,” he says in a rush, looking over Steve’s shoulder and not meeting his eyes.

“No!” Steve bolts up to his feet, too. “Don’t go.”

“It’s okay, Steve. You don’t have to humor me.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, but please don’t go. Or if you have to go because you need to go do something, that’s fine, but don’t go because you think I don’t want you here. I don’t know why I can’t think of anything to say today and make your visit worth your time. It’s like my brain ideas dried up and  — oh, wow. ‘Brain ideas.’ Holy shit. That might be the dumbest thing I’ve ever said. I can’t believe that came out of my mouth.”

Steve groans and chances a glance at Bucky, who’s making a valiant effort not to laugh but looks about two seconds away from losing that particular battle. Steve sighs and groans again but feels his own smile curl across his lips as he buries his face into his hands.

Bucky does laugh at that, not unkindly, and steps in close to Steve. He gently pulls Steve’s hands away from his face, using one finger under Steve’s chin to gently tip his face up so Bucky can look him in the eye.

“There you are,” he whispers, and Steve sighs and rolls his eyes but widens his smile to let Bucky know he doesn’t really mean it.

Bucky runs his hand down Steve’s arm and steps back, his smile softer now. “Hey, do you want to hear about the time that Dionysus got so drunk he couldn’t feel his clothes and kept yelling about how he was naked and magicked himself at least 20 chitons that he put on, one on top of the other?”

Steve gasps. “Are you allowed to tell me that?”

Bucky shrugs. “No one ever told me I  _ couldn’t. _ ”

“Then yes, I absolutely want to hear about that.”

Bucky smirks and rubs his hands gleefully then sits back down, patting Steve’s spot with his hand. “You’re in for a real treat, Steve.”

Steve sits back down, closer than he was before, and settles in to hear about some godly misdeeds.

*****

Bucky thinks things with Steve are going well — surprisingly well, if he’s being honest with himself — which is why it’s such a shock when the first thing out of Steve’s mouth the next time he sees him is, “you’re spending an awful lot of time here.”

Bucky feels like one of the goats kicked him in the stomach. He wraps his arms around himself and looks down at the ground and tries to think of something to say in response, but all he can do is shrug his shoulder and squeeze his eyes shut to keep the tears from leaking out. Damn it all, but that  _ hurt. _ He  _ knew _ he never should have gotten involved with —

“No, no, no, no, no, oh, no! Bucky, please, I’m sorry! That came out all wrong! That’s not what I meant at all!”

Bucky opens his eyes but keeps them trained on the ground. He kicks at a rock for good measure.

“Bucky,  _ please _ will you look at me?”

Bucky knows he’s being surly and childish, but he shakes his head and refuses to look up at Steve.

“I’m really sorry. I am. I love it when you come and visit, okay?” Bucky whips his head up and looks at Steve. His eyes are wide with fear, his lower lip quivering slightly. His hands are outstretched in Bucky’s direction the same way he holds them when he’s trying to calm a goat. Bucky snorts at that realization and rolls his eyes at himself. He sits down on a log and nods his head toward the rock across from him.

Steve takes the hint and sits down, his hands still stretched towards Bucky. They’re shaking, and Bucky briefly feels guilty for making Steve feel that way. Steve notices that Bucky’s looking at his hands shaking and folds them into his lap instead. Bucky waits for Steve to say something.

Steve opens and closes his mouth a few times before taking a deep breath to steel himself. That doesn’t look very reassuring, and Bucky feels anxious.

“Steve,” he barks.

Steve flinches a little, but before Bucky can apologize he says, “sorry. I’m just trying to figure out — okay, I may as well just — what I meant was you’re spending a lot of time here with me, and I’m happy for the company. Truly. I really enjoy your visits, Bucky, and would be sad if you stopped coming by. But don’t your friends miss you or your family or something? People or — or gods, I guess, up on Olympus? I don’t want them getting angry at me for monopolizing your time.”

Bucky blinks a few times because that is not what he was expecting at all.  _ That’s _ what Steve’s worried about? Bucky can feel the tension drain out of him, and he smiles at Steve.

“You don’t have to worry about that, Steve. I don’t really have any friends. Sometimes Apollo drops by, but his visits are sporadic. No one is going to mind if I spend my days down here. Well, Crow might have a few things to say, but she’ll understand.”

“Bucky, that’s...I mean, good I guess? But aren’t you lonely? I’m sorry! That’s none of my business. I shouldn’t have asked that. Forget I said anything.”

Bucky huffs a laugh and reaches out to touch Steve’s knee in reassurance. “It’s okay. I don’t mind you asking questions. I’ll say something if I don’t want to answer, all right?”

“Yeah, okay.”

“Sometimes I get lonely, I guess, but Crow is good company.”

“Is she a god too?”

“Crow? No, she’s literally a crow. A bird. She’s a bird. One of Apollo’s flock, but he lets her spend time with me when she’s not working for him.”

“Oh, so like a pet?”

Bucky barks out a laugh at that. Crow, a pet! He can’t wait to tell her when he gets home. She’ll grumble about it all evening.

“No, she’s not a pet. She’s her own being. She chose to enter Apollo’s service, but that was her choice.”

Steve frowns. “How do you know she chose that?”

“Huh?”

“How do you know that she chose to serve Apollo and not that he enchanted her or something? Did Apollo tell you?”

“No, she did. I can understand her.”

Steve gasps. “You can understand birds?”

Bucky shrugs. “If I want to.”

“How?”

“You know, that’s a good question. With Crow, I wanted to know what she was saying when she cawed at me, so I just concentrated on understanding her and then suddenly I could. But I can’t turn it on and off, so I’ve only ever tried with her. Most animals don’t have the luxury of a life like Crow’s, so they don’t have much on their minds other than finding food and mates and stuff. I don’t really feel like getting bombarded with that all day.”

“That makes sense. Still, it’s really amazing that you can understand Crow. It’s magic.” Bucky watches as Steve’s face lights up with that realization. “What else can you do that’s magic? Oh! You can just show up here out of nowhere! How do you do  _ that? _ And can you go anywhere? Are there distance restrictions? Can you take other people with you? Could you take me somewhere?!”

Bucky laughs at Steve’s enthusiasm and watches the blush creep across his cheeks, but Steve’s still smiling that beautiful, wide smile he has, the one that make his eyes all squinty and makes Bucky’s stomach flutter.

“I don’t know how that works, either, so yeah, I guess it’s magic. Or a godly power. I just concentrate really hard on where I want to go and visualize the place if I’ve been there before, and then poof, I’m there. I can take Crow with me, but I’ve never tried anyone else. Pretty sure Apollo put some sort of enchantment on her, though, because she’s been alive for way longer than a normal crow would be, so maybe she’s enchanted for travel, too.

“No distance restrictions that I’ve encountered yet, but I’m sure I can’t just go anywhere in the world. Or maybe I could. I’ve never felt the urge to try. Crow and I stay around Hellas mainly. I’m not too adventurous, so I don’t have any tales of far-off lands. Sorry to disappoint.”

“Trust me, the fact that you can magically travel even short distances will never be a disappointment.”

“Oh, and I also have this little garden at home that I’ve enchanted so it can still grow that high up Olympus. The plants and trees and stuff. And the bees. I have some bees. They’re magical, too.”

“Magic bees,” Steve whispers as his smile splits his face and his eyes go all crinkly again. Gods, Bucky adores that smile.

“Your turn,” he says.

“My turn for what?” Bucky replies.

“Ask me a question. I’ve been pestering you about yourself, so now you can have a turn to pester me.”

Bucky narrows his eyes a little as he takes Steve in and tries to think of a question he wants answered. Steve’s smile softens under Bucky’s scrutiny, his cheeks start coloring again, and he’s fidgeting the longer Bucky regards him. Finally a question pops into Bucky’s head and he snaps his fingers.

“Which goat is your favorite?”

Steve blinks a few times as his mouth drops open. Bucky just smiles and nods at Steve while he waits for him to say something. Steve huffs out a laugh that has Bucky answering with one of his own, and suddenly Steve can’t stop laughing. Steve has his hand on his chest again, his head thrown back. Bucky feels joy bubbling up from his belly and lets it out as laughter to match Steve’s.

Steve wipes at his eyes when he’s calmed down. He looks at Bucky and says, “Honey. She’s my favorite goat. She’s sweet like her name, and calm, and not too stubborn. Do you want to go meet her?”

“Yeah, I really would.”

Steve stands up and holds out his hand, and Bucky lets Steve pull him to his feet.

*****

Bucky’s next few visits happen later in the day, so Steve decides to just outright ask Bucky to come early the next time, if he can. Bucky agrees easily and shows up the next day just as Steve’s brought the herd to their first grazing spot of the day. Bucky gives a goofy little wave that makes Steve’s stomach flutter pleasantly. He smiles at Bucky and waves back.

“Hi,” Bucky says a little breathlessly. “Lose anything today?”

Steve beams at the now-familiar greeting. “No. But come with me, I want to show you something.”

Bucky perks up at that. “Oh, are we going exploring today?”

“Not quite.”

“Where are we going?”

Steve rolls his eyes fondly. “It’s a surprise. Stop asking so many questions!”

Bucky chuckles and raises his hands palm-out in apology. “Lead the way, then.”

Luckily the goats have’t scattered out too far yet, so they’re easy to round up and start driving across the landscape. They walk in silence, Bucky easily keeping pace with Steve and the goats. Steve keeps sneaking glances up at Bucky, and he looks happy and relaxed. He has a small smile on his face that grows whenever he catches Steve looking at him. Bucky even winks at him once, and Steve feels his face heat up. He whacks Bucky on the arm in retaliation, which makes Bucky laugh and ruffle Steve’s hair.

“Get off,” Steve laughs as he pushes Bucky’s hand off of his head. Bucky catches Steve’s hand and runs his thumb over Steve’s knuckles before letting go. Steve feels his face heat up even more as his heart starts thumping wildly in his chest. He bites his lip and looks down at the ground for a bit before looking back up at Bucky. He’s looking around and taking in his surroundings, but he has the softest smile on his face, almost like he doesn’t even realize it’s there.

Steve leads Bucky and the goats up the side of a mountain a ways. “We’re almost there,” he tells Bucky. “We can let the goats wander where they want now.”

Bucky nods and stays with Steve as he splits off from the herd and makes his way toward a large rocky outcrop. Steve picks his way through a narrow gap between two large slabs of limestone that tower over his head. It’s a tighter squeeze for Bucky, who grunts a few times when he has to turn sideways and suck in a breath.

Steve emerges from the narrow path and turns to watch Bucky’s face as he pushes through the passage. He gasps and drops his jaw, and Steve smiles at the look of wonder on his face. The path opens into a grotto carved into the limestone by a trickle of falling water that cascades down the rock face and forms a pool at the bottom. There are plants eking out a living on natural shelves in the rock. A few small trees have taken root in the narrow strip of land between the limestone walls and the edge of the pool, their trunks curved up toward the center of the opening in a bid to catch more sunlight. Their branches filter the light around the edges of the pool but most of it is still in the sunlight.

“Steve, this is…” Bucky trails off. He looks at Steve and huffs out a breath, not sure what to say that will properly capture the beauty of this place.

“This is my favorite spot on the island,” Steve tells him.

“I can see why. It’s beautiful.”

“The water is cool where it comes down from the spring above, but it wasn’t cold last night, so the rest should still be sun-warmed and good for swimming. Can you swim?”

Bucky snorts. “Yes, I can swim, Steve.”

“No, I meant with your arm. Will it...rust or…”

Bucky holds out his metal hand and makes the plates shift up and down his arm. “Nah, the water doesn’t hurt it. It’s enchanted, it’ll be fine.”

“Oh, good! You up for a swim, then?”

“Yeah, absolutely.”

Bucky starts to unpin his chiton, and Steve panics. “UH…..” Oh, gods, he did  _ not _ think this through. Bucky is going to be naked. In the water. Wet and naked. All of that muscle will be fully on display, and Steve is small and wiry and not even close to being a physical specimen like Bucky.

Bucky freezes and turns toward Steve. “Or I could...leave it on? How about I just take off my pin and belt and tie it at the corner? Would that be okay?”

Steve nods vigorously. “Yeah, that — thank you. I’ll do the same.”

Bucky beams at Steve and does just that, folding his belt and placing his chiton pin in the middle before wading into the pool. He moans lightly as he makes his way deeper into the pool. Steve feels his blood rush down past his belly and curses at himself. How in Hades is he going to make it through this without embarrassing himself?

Steve watches as Bucky dives under the water and swims around long enough that Steve starts getting concerned before he realizes that Bucky can probably hold his breath longer than a human could. Bucky kicks his way to the surface and bursts out of the water and whips his head back to slick the hair back off his face. He looks around in the pool for Steve and frowns before he sees him standing at the edge still. He smiles up at Steve and swims over to the edge of the pool closest to Steve.

Steve whimpers as Bucky’s swims over, his muscles rippling more than the water he’s displacing. Steve feels another tug low in his belly, and he really should get in the water already before it becomes too obvious just how much he’s enjoying watching Bucky paddle around.

“Steve, come in already! You were right, the water is perfect!”

“Yeah —” Steve’s voice breaks, so he clears his throat and tries again. “Yeah, I’ll be right in.”

“Okay!” Bucky chirps as he pushes away from the edge of the pool.

Steve closes his eyes and sucks in a breath before removing his chiton pin and belt and joining Bucky in the water. Bucky swims up behind Steve and dunks him under the water. Steve surfaces sputtering, and Bucky looks panicked for a second before Steve launches himself at Bucky, shouting, “you’ll pay for that!”

Bucky laughs and dives away from Steve. Oh, it is  _ on! _

They spend a few hours swimming and splashing around, alternating between playing and floating peacefully in the water. Steve gets out a few times to check on the goats and catches Bucky looking at him once. Bucky blushes and looks away, which makes Steve smile to himself the entire time he’s out with the goats.

They stay in the water until their fingers are pruned and they’re too tired to swim anymore. Steve gets out first and watches Bucky float around the pool on his back, eyes closed, a small smile curling up the corners of his lips. He’s so beautiful like this, his hair fanned out around him in the water, his face soft and relaxed. Steve’s not really surprised to find that he wants to swim over and kiss Bucky stupid.

The feeling intensifies when Bucky pushes himself out of the water and starts wringing out his hair and his chiton. His wet, clingy chiton. That is now see-through. Steve can see his nipples and — nope. He’s not doing this to himself. He’s not going to glance any further than that. Gods, he  _ really _ did not think this through.

Satisfied with the state of his chiton and hair, Bucky flops down next to Steve on the ground and stretches out his legs in front of him.

“That was amazing, Steve.”

“I’ve never brought anyone here before,” Steve blurts out.

Bucky bites his lip and looks at Steve. “Oh, yeah?” he says quietly. He leans over and bumps Steve’s shoulder with his own. “Thank you for sharing this with me.”

Steve smiles and shakes his head to brush away the compliment. He scootches over until his shoulder is touching Bucky’s. They sit in silence, the heat of Bucky’s flesh arm warming Steve to his core, and watch the sunlight dance across the water.


	3. Mint

Steve’s stomach swoops happily when Bucky pops into view a few days later. He waves his arm in greeting, watching as Bucky makes his way toward Steve. He’s practically vibrating out of his skin by the time he reaches Steve.

“Hi, Steve” he says breathlessly. “Have you lost anything lately?”

“Hi. And no, I haven’t.”

“I know. I don’t know why I keep asking, but it’s habit, I guess, and now that you know I exist and can help you find something if you lose it, you’d probably ask for my help if you  _ did _ lose something, so the fact that you haven’t asked means that you haven’t. Lost anything, that is,” Bucky finishes in a rush.

“Huh. I never thought about that, but yeah, I guess I would.”

“I have something for you anyway!”

Steve blinks. “You do?”

Bucky is literally bouncing from one foot to the other now, and he’s excited and he looks so  _ young  _ suddenly, even though Steve’s sure he’s hundreds of years old, maybe even older. “Well, show me what you’ve got, then.”

“Here!” Bucky holds out his hand, an old, worn sandal dangling from his fingers.

“Oh! It’s...a sandal.”

“It’s  _ your _ sandal! You lost it eight years ago. It took me a while to find it, but I did! Here, take it.”

“Th-thank you, Bucky. This is...um. I mean, I think I’ve outgrown these sandals, and probably threw out the other one ages ago or repurposed it so we didn’t waste the leather, but it’s good to have it back.” Steve’s smile gets wiped off his face when he looks up at Bucky, his stomach clenching as his throat tightens. Bucky’s looking down at his feet as he shifts his weight from one foot to the other. He looks crestfallen.

“That came out all wrong. Of course I’m happy to have my sandal back, Bucky, thank you so much for finding it for me.”

Bucky shrugs one shoulder but continues looking down at the ground.

“Bucky…”

“No, it was silly bringing it back. You’re right. What do you need an old, broken sandal for? I should have just left it where it was. I don’t know why I didn’t. I’m sorry I bothered you,” Bucky tells the ground.

“Buck, please —”

“It’s just that I haven’t been around other people much lately,” Bucky interrupts, “and I’m not used to it anymore. I know I’m a lot.”

“A lot? What does that— you’re not a lot, Bucky. You’re just the right amount.”

Bucky freezes and whips his head up to look at Steve, who’s silently berating himself because what the hell does “you’re just the right amount” even  _ mean?!  _ Apparently it means something to Bucky, though, because now he’s staring at Steve with his mouth hanging open like he can’t believe Steve just said that. Steve kind of can’t believe he just said that, either, but he gets the feeling Bucky means it in an entirely different way. At least the poor guy doesn’t look upset anymore. Now he just looks confused. Happily confused, Steve hopes?

Before he gets the chance to ask, Bucky pops away, and Steve is left alone with the goats. “Well, shit,” he says. Yogurt walks over and tries to take a bite out of the sandal. Steve huffs and pushes her away fondly.

Steve pens up the animals for the night and makes his way into his house clutching the sandal and hoping that the rest of his family are busy so he can just sneak some food from the kitchen and head to his bed, but no luck. His mother, brothers, and sister are all sitting at the table waiting for him when he opens the door.

“There you are!” his mother calls. “Get yourself some food and come join us.”

Steve gives his mother a tight smile and tries to subtly shift the old sandal to his right side since the table will be on his left as he passes to the kitchen, but Nat clocks the movement. Stupid sisters with stupid amazing eyesight and intuition who can’t keep their stupid mouths shut.

“What are you holding?” she asks, eyebrow quirked.

Steve feels three more pairs of eyes snap to him. Triple gods damn it! Steve raises the sandal.

“Why do you have one old sandal?” Clint asks.

“Um…” Steve tries to think of a good excuse, or  _ any _ excuse, really, but he can’t think with all of them staring at him like that, and he can feel his cheeks reddening, and can the floor please open up and swallow him whole already because he does  _ not _ want to talk about this right now. Or ever. Preferably ever.

“Steve?” his mother prompts gently.

“Ugh,” is all Steve can think of, so he sighs heavily and sits down at the table to face his family.

“Okay, so, do you remember that guy I told you about a little while back? The one who just popped up out of nowhere, and you all said he was a god or some sort of supernatural creature, and I didn’t believe you because it sounded ridiculous?”

“Uhh…” Sam tries to interject.

“Well, you were right. His name is Bucky, and he’s the god of lost things. Well, his name is Iákōbos, but he goes by Bucky, which is short for Bucephalus like the horse. Except he was born first so technically the horse is named after him.”

“Uhh…” Clint tries to interject.

“And he’s been coming by while the goats graze on the mountains and I tend to them, and we talk and he’s so sweet and kind, and he helped me through a breathing attack the other day and didn’t even tease me about it, and I took him to my favorite spot on the island, and his eyes are just so blue, you know?”

“Uhh…” Natalia tries to interject.

“And I think he’s lonely because he keeps coming back to spend time with me — me, of all people! — and today he said he hasn’t been around other people much lately, which could mean any number of years if he really is a god, like what if he means decades and decades? What if he’s been alone for  _ centuries?! _ That’s so awful!”

“Uhh…” his mother tries to interject.

“And I was so confused when he brought me the sandal that I just blurted out that it was too small and I didn’t need it, and you should have seen his face! He was  _ so happy _ to have found something that belonged to me, and I had to open my big mouth, and he was so upset, just so  _ gods damned  _ upset, and I ruined his surprise! He’s never going to want to see me again! Ugh,” he groans as he folds his arms on the table and leans his head onto them.

Sam, Natalia, and Clint all look at their mother with wide eyes. Clint mouths a “what in Hades?” Natalia frowns. Sam pats Steve on the shoulder with one hand as he shrugs his other shoulder.

“Stephanos, darling, we can see that you’re very upset right now. Why don’t I fix you a plate of food and get you some wine, and you can eat and refresh yourself and then start from the beginning and tell us all about this Bucky person...or god...creature. Person. Um, all about this Bucky after? And then we can see what we can do to help you. Okay?”

Steve groans his assent into his arms and sighs softly when his mother ruffles his hair on her way to the kitchen.

The food helps. So does taking it slow and telling his family everything from the beginning. They all look a little confused when Steve finally finishes talking. They’re not exactly trying to hide the concerned looks they’re giving each other, or the even more concerned looks they’re giving Steve, and the silence is getting oppressive.

“Will someone please just say something?” Steve grouses.

“Steve, darling, are you  _ sure _ he’s as benign as you think he is?” his mother asks.

“He’s not going to hurt me, mom.”

“Maybe not on purpose,” Nat replies.

“He’s not going to hurt me.”

“He’s a god, Steve. You’re nothing to him,” Nat counters.

Steve winces as Sam huffs a “Nat, come on” at her.

“What?” she says. “It’s true. Maybe he likes Steve for now, but gods are capricious. Who’s to say what he’ll do in a week’s time or a month’s or a year’s? How do we know he won’t get angry for some unknown reason and raze our village to the ground? All our hard work, all the lives we’ve saved, ruined in an instant because Steve’s godling threw a fit.”

Steve’s chair tips over backwards as he surges to his feet. “He would  _ never,” _ he hisses at Natalia, blinking back the tears pooling in his eyes.

“All right, that’s enough,” their mother says. Steve glares at Nat again as he picks up his chair and sits back down at the table. Nat sticks her tongue out in reply.

“Children! I said enough!” Sara waits for them both to settle back down as much as they’re going to, stubborn things that they are.

“Steve, we all know that you want to believe the best in everyone you meet, which is such a lovely quality, but as your family, it’s our job to be concerned, especially when the gods come into play.” Steve huffs but doesn’t interrupt.

“Your sister is just trying to look out for you.” Steve huffs again and angles his body so he’s facing away from Natalia.

Sara sighs and looks to Natalia. “Nat, darling, we know that you’re concerned for your family and your community, but your brother —”

“He’s  _ not _ my brother!” Nat shouts, her frustration boiling over, pointing an accusatory finger at Steve as she stands up. Steve’s eyes widen, his stomach flipping over as his throat tightens. He feels his shoulders rising up and makes a conscious effort to stop them.

“And he’s going to get us all killed, or worse — recaptured — all because he doesn’t know how to mind his own business and keep his mouth shut!”

“Whoa, Nat, come on, that’s not fair!” Sam says, reaching out to put a calming hand on Natalia’s arm. She shrugs it off and pushes away from the table, slamming the door to her room on her way inside.

“Steve…” Sara tries, but he’s up and out the door like a shot, heading out into the night. Sara sighs and turns to Clint and Sam. Before she can even say anything, they both stand up and head toward their wayward siblings. Sam pats her shoulder as he walks by, and she grabs his hand and kisses the back of it.

“Take a wrap for Steve, please, Sam. You know how he gets cold after he’s done working through his anger.” Sam nods and does as she asks before heading off to find Steve.

Sam finds him under his favorite tree, pulling up clumps of grass and shredding the blades into tiny pieces. Sam can tell he’s trying not to cry, but he isn’t going to be able to hold it back much longer. “Hey,” he says and tosses Steve the wrap. Steve huffs and puts it on without further complaint, which Sam takes as a good sign.

“Can I sit?” Steve shrugs his shoulder and looks down at his hands as he shreds more grass.

They sit together in silence for a while. An owl hoots in the distance. Sam starts counting the stars. Steve’s pile of shredded grass grows.

“I hate it when she says I’m not her brother,” Steve whispers, shortly after Sam’s counted 314 stars.

“I know. That’s why she says it.”

Steve snorts and then sniffles. Sam can hear him swallowing heavily a few times. “I know how lucky I am to have been born here. I wouldn’t do anything to jeopardize that no matter what Nat thinks.”

“I know.”

“It’s just...he’s a god. What was I supposed to do? What if  _ not _ talking to him had made him angry?”

Sam grunts neutrally. Steve just needs to get it out now.

“Besides, she doesn’t know him like I do. He would never hurt us.”

“I believe you. I do. But what about his god friends?”

“I don’t think he really has any god friends.”

“Are you sure about that?”

Steve takes a moment to really think back through what Bucky’s said during his visits. “I’m not positive, no. He’s mentioned Apollo a few times, but just in passing.”

“Mmm,” Sam hums in reply, letting Steve work through his thoughts some more.

“I just…” Steve starts before falling silent again. He huffs at himself in frustration before sighing. “I just really like him, Sam,” he whispers finally.

“I know you do.”

Steve groans and buries his head in his hands, and Sam reaches out and wraps his arm around Steve’s shoulders and tugs him against his side.

“Why don’t I come with you tomorrow and meet him, see what he’s like? Maybe Nat will back off some if I like him, too.”

“Would you?” Steve says into his hands.

Sam snorts at his brother. Always so dramatic. “Yeah, I will. Now come on back inside. It’s warmer, and I’m getting tired.”

Steve grumbles but lets Sam pull him to his feet and doesn’t even complain once when Sam ruffles his hair.

*****

Steve’s stomach is an absolute mess the next day as he waits for Bucky to show up, and he can’t keep still, just pacing back and forth and back and forth. 

“Steve, can you please just relax? You’re making the goats nervous.”

“What? No, I’m not!” Steve looks up and sees ten pairs of eyes staring back at him as they slowly chew whatever vegetation they can reach without taking their eyes off Steve. “Oh. I guess I am. Sorry.”

He manages to sit still for five minutes before he’s up and pacing again, Sam rolling his eyes but letting him be as he focuses on his whittling.

Steve absolutely does not yelp when he hears “Hey, Steve, you lost anything late— Oh, hello!” behind him. He whips his head around and sees Bucky standing there holding out his hand to Sam, who’s standing up and making his way over to Bucky.

“You must be Bucky,” Sam says. “Steve has told me a lot about you.”

Bucky blushes as Sam takes his hand and grasps it tightly.

“You must be Sam. Steve’s told me about you, too. And who else did you bring with you today, Steve?”

“Uh, the goats?”

Bucky snorts, and Sam raises his eyebrows and looks at Steve, but he only has eyes for Bucky right now. Wow, it’s even worse than Sam thought.

“No, not the goats, Steve. There’s someone else on the mountain with us. Two someones, actually. Oh, sorry, are they trying to hide or surprise me or something? Is this a game?” Bucky asks. He leans toward Steve and lowers his voice, whispering, “Can I play the game, too?”

Steve beams at Bucky and moves closer to conspire with him but pauses when he feels the weight of Sam’s gaze. He chances a glance up at Sam; he’s smirking, the jerk. Steve rolls his eyes and makes a rude gesture in Sam’s direction, which draws a laugh out of him.

There’s some rustling up the hill, the crack of a twig, and a hissed “Zeus’s balls!” Steve looks up in confusion because that sounded like...Ah. Yes, that was Clint. He and Natalia come out from their hiding spot and head down toward Steve, Bucky, and Sam. Clint looks curious and mildly guilty, but Natalia looks murderous. The smile falls off Bucky’s face when he sees Natalia, and he stands up straighter.

No one says a word when the other two reach the little group. Natalia is sizing Bucky up, and Bucky lets her, meeting her gaze head-on. Sam leans down to Steve and whispers, “this is awkward,” which makes Steve snort. Clint looks up and smiles as he gives Steve two thumbs up.

“How did you meet?” Nat asks finally.

“The first time Steve saw me, I was trying to hide from him behind a tree, but he saw my chiton, so I popped back to my house. I came back the next day to say hello, and he threw a rock at me and hit me in the forehead. I came back a week later, and he accused me of being a rapist asshole. The fourth time we actually had a nice conversation.”

“Well, when you put it like  _ that. _ ” Steve grouses, folding his arms across his chest defensively. Bucky glances over at him and winks.

Nat reaches out and pats Bucky on the shoulder. “Okay, we’re good. Nice to meet you, Bucky.”

“Wait, just like that?!” Steve sputters.

“Just like that. Anyone who’s willing to keep trying to get to know you after all that bullshit is all right by me.”

Clint walks over to Bucky and introduces himself, too, and Nat drags Bucky away from Steve and out of hearing range, motioning for Clint and Sam to come with her. Steve strains to hear what they’re all saying, but there’s a lot of laughter and glances his way, and ugh, it sucks that he can’t hear them. But Bucky has the softest look on his face, and he keeps looking over at Steve and smiling, and Steve can’t help but smile back. Maybe it’s not so bad after all.

“We should head back,” Nat says when the group has made its way back to Steve.

“Me, too,” Bucky agrees.

Steve frowns and looks up at Bucky as he steps into Steve’s space and wraps his arms around him. Steve’s stunned by the show of affection, especially in front of his family, and lets his arms dangle at his sides. Bucky grunts softly and starts to pull away, which spurs Steve into action. He wraps his arms around Bucky and squeezes tightly, drawing another grunt from Bucky. He pulls Steve tight against his chest, and Steve leans his face against Bucky and sighs happily.

Clint coos at them, so Steve pushes his face away from Bucky long enough to roll his eyes and stick out his tongue at his brother, who laughs and starts walking away.

Steve doesn’t release Bucky until his siblings are long gone. Bucky looks down at Steve and asks softly, “can I kiss you? I’d really like to.”

“Gods yes,” Steve says breathlessly. Bucky gently slides his hand up to Steve’s cheek before leaning in to kiss him softly on the lips. It’s sweet and perfect and over far too soon for Steve’s taste. He whimpers a little, which makes Bucky huff out a laugh and kiss him again. One of the goat bleats, startling them, and they separate with a laugh. Bucky thumbs at the blush on Steve’s cheek before stepping back and waving. And then he’s gone.

“Bye, Buck,” Steve says to the air, smiling to himself.

*****

My friend. Came home smiling. Like he does. When he sees. His herder. He touched his lips. And smiled a private smile. He says. He met the herder’s brothers. And sister. He is happy. All the time now. I wish. I could meet them too. And tell them so.

*****

“You should invite Bucky for dinner,” Sara says one evening, weeks later. “You see him practically every day now. It’s time he came here, I think.”

“Uh…” Steve replies, eloquently. “Is that okay with everyone?” He looks over at Natalia, who nods and smiles. “I will, then. Thanks, mom.”

Bucky happily accepts Steve’s invitation when he sees him the next afternoon, and they make plans for Bucky to come for dinner the day after. He’s practically vibrating out of his skin by the time he pops back to his house, he’s so excited. Crow takes one look at him and starts cawing loudly.

“No, it’s okay, girl, I’m just happy! Steve’s mother invited me over to their house for dinner! I’m going to meet her and see where he lives, and this is so exciting! I can’t believe this is happening!” He dances around the room, Crow flying around his head, cawing happily.

Bucky freezes in the middle of a dance move, which sends Crow careening into his head. He barely seems to notice, though, and Crow caws at him in concern. “Caw! Caw Caw!!”

“Oh, gods, this is happening. This is happening. I can’t believe this is happening.” Bucky crumples to the floor and starts hyperventilating. He’s gone pale, and his skin is all clammy. Crow lands on the floor next to him and starts cawing softly and rhythmically until Bucky’s breathing at the same pace.

“Thanks, girl.” He reaches out and scritches the feathers by her beak. Crow caws at him. “Yeah, I’m okay. It’s just...what if his mom doesn’t like me?” Crow caws some more. “Yeah, his siblings do. But this is his  _ mom, _ Crow. This is important.” More cawing. Bucky rolls his eyes. “You’re just saying that to make me feel better.” Still more cawing. “Yeah, it worked.” Bucky grunts as he gets up off the floor. “I should take some presents, don’t you think? Want to help me pick out something good?” Crow caws her assent and they get to work.


	4. Sandal

Steve’s not expecting Bucky until later in the day, so he’s startled when Bucky pops up in front of him in the early morning, only a few minutes after he reaches the first grazing site of the day. 

“Bucky, what is going on?”

“No time to explain! I need you to think about your mom. Close your eyes and concentrate on her.”

“Uh…”

“Steve! Time is of the essence here!”

“Okay, okay! Sorry!” Steve closes his eyes and tries to think about his mom. “I feel a little ridiculous right now.”

“Just think about her when she’s laughing and happy, how she makes you feel safe and loved. Imagine what she looks like during those times.” Steve does. “That’s perfect, Steve, thank you. You can open your eyes now.”

“You want to tell me what that was about?”

“You’ll find out later, I promise. Love you! Bye!”

“Wait!” Steve cries as Bucky pops away, but it’s too late. One of the goats comes over and buts Steve’s leg until he reaches down to pet her. “Do you think he meant that, Mint?” Mint bleats. “Yeah, you’re right. He probably didn’t.”

“But what if he did?” he asks the goat a few hours later. Mint just continues munching on a tree.

“I’m just going to ask him,” he says a couple of hours later. Mint bleats at him and walks away.

Steve means to ask Bucky as soon as he shows up, but when the actual moment happens, he finds himself at a loss for words. Bucky’s wearing his finest clothing, his hair half loose and half pulled back away from his face, and he looks incredible. Steve suddenly feels every speck of dirt, every drop of sweat that rolled down his face during the long day with the herd. He probably smells like goats, too, which...not optimal for inspiring a declaration of love.

Bucky’s carrying a large basket covered in a fine white cloth, as well as a large bag that he’s strapped to his back. “What’s all that?” Steve calls out to him. Bucky smiles as he makes his way over to Steve. “You’ll see,” he says with a wink. He gives Steve a kiss on the cheek, and Steve rolls his eyes but smiles anyway.

Steve rounds up the herd and leads Bucky down the mountainside toward his village. They walk down into the valley, picking their way through the trees and the scrub. Steve likes to hop from rock to rock like one of his goats, laughing when Bucky shakes his head at Steve’s invitation to join him. Steve asks Bucky to stop after they’ve been walking for about a Roman mile. Steve whistles a few sharp notes and gets different notes in return.

“This way,” he says, as he leads Bucky toward the ridge below. It isn’t until they crest the ridge that Bucky sees a small village tucked into the valley between two mountain ridges. He’s surprised anyone settled there, it’s so remote; the island’s port is far enough away to make selling goods at the market difficult, and Bucky doesn’t see any roads in or out of the village, though there must be paths. There are a few dozen stone houses in the village’s clearing, each with its own garden. An olive grove sits near the village with cropland and vineyards around that. There are fenced-in pastures with wooden animal houses and a row of beehives.

Steve leads them toward one of the pastures, the goats bleating happily as they make their way into the building. Steve makes sure they have plenty of water and bedding, and pats any of the goats who want patted before closing the door and barring it shut. That done, he reaches out to take Bucky’s hand. Bucky switches the basket to his metal hand and offers Steve the flesh one with a sheepish grin. Steve returns the smile and pulls him toward his house.

“I don’t mind, you know,” he says. “The metal, that is.”

Bucky shrugs. “I kind of do. It’s hard to tell if I’m using too much pressure, and I don’t want to hurt you.”

“I’d tell you if it was too much,” Steve counters.

“Maybe one day.”

Steve waves at the villagers they pass along the way, squeezing Bucky’s hand in reassurance whenever they encounter someone.”This is it,” Steve says, stopping outside one of the houses. “I  know it’s not much, but —”

“It’s lovely, Steve.” And it is. The garden is full of vegetable plants, and there’s a small lemon tree next to the walkway. Earthenware pots sit by the front door, spilling over with a mass of purple and red flowers. Bees and butterflies flit around the flower beds. It feels like a home.

Steve drops Bucky’s hand so he can reach up and cup Bucky’s face. “She’s going to love you,” he says, tugging Bucky down into a kiss. Bucky sighs and rests his forehead against Steve’s for a moment.

“Okay, I’m ready.” He squares his shoulders and follows Steve into the house.

It’s just as lovely on the inside, worn but well tended. The main room has a large hearth against one wall with a table and six chairs in front. A pot hangs above the fire, and Bucky’s mouth waters when the smell of the cooking food reaches him. He looks around the room and sees a spinning wheel and a loom, some herbs and flowers drying in the rafters under the roof, a sheep skin on the floor. There is a doorway at the back of the room that leads to the sleeping quarters.

Once he’s done looking around the room, Bucky realizes Steve’s family is staring at him. “Oh, uh…” he starts before trailing off. Sara smiles indulgently before coming over.

“You must be Bucky. Please, let me take those for you.” She reaches for the basket, and Bucky hands it to her, following as she goes to the table and sets it down. He takes off his bag and places it gently on the table next to the basket. “Whatever is in here, you shouldn’t have, Bucky. You’re our guest.”

“Oh, no, I couldn’t come empty-handed. Please.” He pulls the cloth from the basket, and Sara gasps. It’s overflowing with food; cheeses, bread, dried meats, smoked fish, succulent fruits, a jar of olive oil, little honeyed cakes.

“This is too much, Bucky,” Sara says.

Bucky shrugs her off. “It’s not, honestly. I live on Olympus, and food just shows up throughout the day. If I want something in particular, I just ask for it and it shows up, too. Blink your eyes and poof, there it is in a basket. I’d rather you have it.”

“That’s very generous of you. Thank you.”

“What’s in the bag?” Clint asks, drawing a sharp rebuke from Sara.

“He’s just given us a basket of food, Clinton. Leave the man be.”

“That’s okay, Sara, there are some things in the bag for everyone,” Bucky says as Clint and Sam high five each other.

Bucky opens his bag and rummages around. He pulls out a handful of fine arrowheads for Clint, a whittling knife for Sam with iridescent seashell bits inlaid in the handle. Natalia gets a bolt of fine cloth and a boning knife with a stained cedar handle. Steve gets a jar of sweet-smelling salve.

“Apollo makes that for my scars. It’s great for minor aches and pains. It may even help with your breathing. I don’t know what all it could do.”

“Bucky, this is...thank you,” Steve says, a little awed.

Bucky pulls out a handful of beeswax candles, some jars of honey, and a small oil lamp.

“These are for your household. The honey and candles are from my bees. I have some hives in my back terrace. Well, the bees didn’t make the candles, I did, but the wax is from their hive. Um, anyway.” He blushes as he pulls out a small folded piece of cloth. This he hands to Sara.

“I believe this belongs to you,” he says softly. Sara takes the cloth with a frown, unfolding it gently. She gasps when she sees what’s inside and covers her mouth with her hand.

“What is it?” Sam asks, but Sara closes her eyes and shakes her head. She swallows heavily a few times and shakes her head again before tears spill down her cheeks.

“Mom? Are you okay?” Steve asks as he walks over to her, running his hand softly on her upper arm.

Sara moves her hand from her mouth and pats Steve’s hand and nods. She clears her throat before picking up what’s in the cloth and showing her children.

It’s a gold necklace with a small lapis lazuli pendant. It’s simple, more sentimental than valuable. Everyone but Bucky and Sara gasp when she holds it up.

“Is that…” Nat starts.

“It is,” Sara confirms. “Bucky, I don’t know how to thank you for this. Steve’s father gave this to me a few months before he died, and it became my most cherished possession. The chain broke a few years back, and I lost it. Where did you find this?”

“Oh, it was in the sea near the island’s shore. I don’t know how it got there, though.”

Sara clutches the necklace to her chest. “Thank you. This means more to me than I can say.”

“You’re welcome. Kind of my job, after all.”

“Well, you’re very good at it.” Sara says, which makes Bucky blush and look down at the floor.

Steve smiles at Bucky, but his glance is drawn to Clint, who pretends to swoon into Sam’s arms. Steve rolls his eyes and makes a rude gesture at them.  _ Brothers. _

Dinner is delicious, the conversation lively. Steve’s family can tell that Bucky is nervous, but they kindly don’t mention it, and Bucky relaxes as the evening goes on. He asks about the village and its location, why it’s so isolated and hard to find, why Steve had to give a signal before he came back. There are a lot of glances between Steve’s family before Sara nods and starts talking.

“This is a community of refugees. Former slaves, specifically. Some of us were manumitted, others are runaways, and some of the villagers were born here, like Steve. We’re isolated because it lessens the likelihood of being re-enslaved. We have some security measures in place to help with that, as well as to keep outsiders out.”

“Former slaves? That’s…” Bucky looks around the table at Steve’s siblings. “Oh. You’re orphans. Sara took you in.”

“Steve is my son by birth, but yes, the others are my children by choice. But make no mistake about it, they are  _ all _ my children.”

Bucky nods. “You’ve made your own families. I promise to do everything in my power, small though it may be, to keep you all safe and protected and happy.”

Steve reaches out to give Bucky’s hand a squeeze, as does Sara. Bucky pulls his metal arm into his lap before Sara can touch it, looking down at the table to avoid her eyes.

“What happened to your arm?” Natalia asks.

Bucky’s silent for a moment before he murmurs, “I don’t want to talk about it. I’m sorry, I know you just trusted me with your stories, but I can’t—”

“It’s all right,” Sara cuts in. “You tell us when you’re ready, or not at all.” Bucky smiles tightly at her, grateful for her understanding.

“Hey, did Steve ever tell you about the time he tripped while carrying a jug of water and spilled it on his lap so it looked like he had peed himself? Sam asks, a twinkle in his eye.

Steve squawks. “Why the  _ hell _ would I tell him about that?!”

“Oh, Bucky, you are in for a treat!” Sam declares, rubbing his hands together with gusto.

Steve groans, but Bucky looks Sam dead in the eye and says, “tell me  _ everything _ .”

*****

It’s late by the time Bucky finally leaves after a hug for Sara, a kiss for Steve, and a wave for everyone else. Clint asks him if he minds just popping back home in front of them so he can see it, and Bucky laughs and agrees. Sara tells him to come back soon, and Bucky smiles softly at her and says he would love to. And then he’s gone.

Steve feels suddenly bashful with his family all looking at him, and he tilts his head down and shuffles his feet. His mom comes over to give him a hug before announcing that she’s headed to bed. Sam yawns so wide his jaw cracks and heads to bed himself.

“You all go ahead. I’d like to talk to Steve for a minute before we turn in,” Nat says, looking at Steve.

He looks up and nods, and follows Nat outside to sit under Steve’s favorite tree. Steve waits for her to gather her thoughts.

“I’m sorry. For what I said a few weeks ago. And for doubting you and Bucky.”

Steve shrugs.

“No, don’t do that, don’t pretend it doesn’t matter. It  _ does  _ matter. You’re my brother, and I love you. I just get so —” She cuts herself off and looks away into the darkness.

Steve waits to see if she’s going to continue. When it’s clear she isn’t, he says, “I hate it when you say I’m not your brother.”

Natalia sighs.

“I understand the rest. I do. I get that you worry, and that this place is important to you because it’s important to me, too. Maybe not in the same way as it is to you, but I would be devastated if anything happened to any of our neighbors. So if you get worried and yell at me about that stuff, it’s fine, I can handle it. Just please stop saying I’m not your brother. Please.”

She nods, swallowing thickly, and Steve reaches for her and pulls her to him. She wraps her arms around his shoulders and hugs him tightly. She pulls back after a little while, once the threat of tears has passed.

“I like Bucky,” she says. “And he’s clearly gone on you.”

Steve smiles at her. “Which is good ‘cause I’m gone on him, too.”

Nat rolls her eyes, but she’s smiling. “No shit.” Steve huffs and punches her shoulder. “Did you hear him mention Apollo? With the salve?”

“Yeah. He’s mentioned Apollo a few times, but I don’t think they’re very close.”

“Hmm. That may be, but Steve, Apollo is a whole other level. Bucky says he will do anything he can to protect us, and I believe him, but he may not have much of a chance against someone like Apollo. Just be careful, okay? That’s all I ask.”

“I’ll do my best.”

“What am I saying? You’ve never been careful a day in your life, you little idiot,” she says fondly.

“Why start now?” Steve says around a smile.

*****

Bucky’s riding the high of his visit with Steve’s family when he pops back into his house. He can’t wait to tell Crow when he next sees — “Oh, Crow, you’re here! I have so much to tell you!” Crow flies over to him and starts cawing loudly in Bucky’s face, but he’s too happy and distracted to really listen to what she’s saying. 

“Crow, Steve’s family is amazing! They were so kind and welcoming, and his mom hugged me before I left, can you believe that?! She wants me to come back! His brothers are hilarious, and his sister is protective and a bit surly, but once you get to know her and she accepts you, she’s witty and clever and has the most biting sense of humor. Ow, stop flapping your wings in my face! I’m trying to tell you about Steve’s family! And Steve! You should have seen how happy he was. He looked so handsome and soft, and wow. I can’t wait to see him tomorrow and talk about our evening. Or anything. I don’t care, as long as I get to spend time with him. Crow, ow, stop!”

Bucky pushes Crow into the air and off his flesh shoulder. She’d hopped over there from his metal arm when he wouldn’t stop talking, digging her talons in and raking down.

“Crow, what’s gotten into you? You’ve never done this before.” Crow caws softly at him, and he stops to really look at her. She’s agitated and keeps looking out toward the garden terraces. Bucky follows her gaze. His stomach sinks when her actions finally catch up with him.

“Crow, is something wrong?” he whispers. She bobs her head up and down. Bucky nods back and starts making his way across the room toward one of the knives on his wall of lost objects. He’s halfway there when he hears, “spending time with humans now, are we? I didn’t think you were the type.”

Bucky freezes and turns toward the terrace, his shoulders tense and his back straight. “What are you doing here, Apollo?”

Apollo glides into the room, graceful and golden as always. He’s got a fig in his hand, plucked from one of Bucky’s trees. “Can’t a god just stop by for a chat?”

“A god can, but you haven’t in decades. Why now?”

Apollo hums as he makes his way toward the object wall. He reaches out and starts touching things, pulling cloth strips off their line and running them through his fingers, trying on rings, rubbing little stone idols, tugging on the rope, testing the sharpness of the scythes.

Bucky watches him with clenched fists until he’s had enough. “What do you  _ want, _ Apollo?”

Apollo keeps playing with objects as he says, “Crow told me you were talking to some herder, but I didn’t really believe it until now. I thought you were quite content alone.”

“We’re allowed to talk to humans. You do it all the time.”

Apollo turns toward Bucky. “Oh, I don’t care that you’re visiting them. I was just shocked that you were actually socializing. I know how much you enjoy your solitude. But I have to say, happy is a  _ very _ good look on you.” He sighs dramatically. “Still, it’s a shame they’re so soft and short-lived.”

Bucky tenses and clenches his fist tighter. “Leave them alone, Apollo.”

Apollo tsks at Bucky. “Don’t worry, I’m not going to bother your precious mortals. Plenty of fish in the proverbial sea.”

“Apollo —”

“Come on, Crow. Let’s leave Bucky be.” Crow flaps over to Apollo, but her eyes are on Bucky as Apollo pops them back up Olympus. Bucky sighs in relief once they’re gone and goes to make sure Apollo didn’t fuck up his stuff.

Crow tries to apologize the next morning, but Bucky isn’t having it. He knows she can’t resist when Apollo asks her for information. “It’s not your fault, okay? You were just doing your job. I’m not mad at you. Are you okay?” She assures him she’s fine, just worried about Apollo’s motives. “Yeah, me too. Maybe he really was just curious?” Crow caws softly. “Me neither,” Bucky sighs.

“Hey, how about we go on an adventure today, just you and me? I’ve been spending so much time with Steve lately that I’ve been neglecting you, and I’m sorry about that.”

“Caw! Caw caw caw!”

“That’s really sweet of you, but you’re important to me, too. And I wanted to thank you. I know you’ve been staying away when I go visit Steve because you don’t want Apollo to know too much about where they live. Thank you for helping me protect them. I wish you could meet them. They’d love you. Well, they’d love you once they got past the whole ‘bad omen’ stereotype and all. Maybe someday, huh? I’d like to be able to share them with you.”

Crow caws and perches on Bucky’s metal shoulder and snuggles into his neck. Bucky scritches the feathers by her beak and lets her snuggle for a while.

“Hey, let’s go get the map and choose somewhere new to go today, okay?” Crow flaps off, cawing happily.

*****

I have missed. Adventuring with my friend. But he is so happy. When he is with. His herder. It feels selfish. To ask for more adventures. But a Crow. Must spread its wings. From time to time.

*****

“Oh, thank the gods,” Steve blurts out when he sees Bucky a couple of days later. He rushes over and throws himself against Bucky. 

“Hey, what is it? What’s wrong?” Bucky asks, wrapping Steve in his arms.

Steve mumbles something unintelligible into Bucky’s chest. Bucky puts his hands on Steve’s shoulders and gently pushes him away. “Steve, what is it?”

Steve looks up at Bucky then and finds his face is full of concern. “Nothing now, just...you didn’t come back for a few days after you met my family, and I was worried that they scared you off.” Steve smiles sheepishly and shrugs a shoulder.

“Oh, honey, no,” Bucky says, cupping Steve’s face and leaning down to kiss him gently. “I’m sorry I worried you. I’ve been out adventuring with Crow. I’ve been spending so much time here with you that I’ve been neglecting her. She said she doesn’t mind, and I know she’s a crow, but…”

“She’s important to you,” Steve finishes. Bucky nods. “Good. I’m glad you had some time together. I mean, I missed you, but you should spend time with her.”

“Yeah, she was really excited to go out adventuring. She loves exploring and helping me find lost objects.

“No kidding? That’s kind of adorable. Oh! Did she help you find my mom’s necklace?”

“She did, actually. You should have heard her cawing when I dug it out of the sand. She was so happy.”

Steve laughs delightedly. “I have to tell my mom that. She’ll love knowing a crow helped you. She always thought they got a bad rap, what with the bad omens thing and all. ‘They’re only mean if you’re mean to them first,’ she told me once, ‘so pay attention to who’s around when you come across an angry crow.’”

“She’s not wrong about that.”

Steve smiles up at Bucky, who smiles back and reaches out to brush the hair away from Steve’s forehead.

“You’re so beautiful,” he says, trailing his hand down Steve’s cheek. Steve blushes and bites his lip and shakes his head a little. “Yes, you are,” he reiterates.

Steve closes his eyes as Bucky cups his face with both hands. He feels Bucky trail a hand down his chest then lean in, and Steve whimpers because he wants that, wants Bucky’s lips on his, wants to feel the soft slide of them. He surges up to meet Bucky and kiss him senseless.

Except that Bucky is closer than Steve anticipated, so instead of kissing Bucky he cracks Bucky’s nose with his forehead.

“Ow!” Bucky shouts. Bucky flinches back, the hand already on Steve’s chest tightening its grip on Steve’s chiton as the other flies to his face to hold his nose.

“Oh, shit, Bucky! I’m sorry! Are you okay?” Steve panics and reaches up for Bucky’s face to try and assess the damage, which makes Bucky flinch back again. He takes a step backwards and manages to trip over a tree root. Steve reaches out to try and catch Bucky and feels the tug on his chiton as Bucky accidentally pulls him down.

Bucky lands hard on his back and grunts when Steve lands on top of him. They’re both stunned into silence. Steve recovers first and plants his hands next to Bucky’s head and pushes himself up a bit to look Bucky in the eye.

“Are you okay?” Bucky nods and pulls his hand away from his face.

“Oh, yay, no blood! It’s not broken! See?” He holds his hand out to Steve to show him.

Steve sighs in relief when he sees that Bucky’s telling the truth but goes all cross-eyed when Bucky keeps moving his hand toward Steve’s face. He presses his hand into Steve’s face with a laugh, and Steve huffs and nips at Bucky’s palm.

“You idiot,” he says and then he’s laughing, too.

Bucky brings his other hand up and starts tickling Steve in the ribs, the asshole. Steve squeals and drops his full weight onto Bucky so he can free up his arms and start fighting back.

Somewhere during the giggling and the teasing and the squirming, Steve realizes that they’ve lined up their hips and all this wriggling is starting to feel good.  _ Really _ good. The laughter dies in his throat as the butterflies in his stomach take over. He looks down at Bucky, whose expression turns serious when he realizes Steve isn’t laughing anymore.

Bucky licks his lips and Steve tracks the movement before looking Bucky in the eyes, the tension thick between them. One of Bucky’s hands is low on Steve’s waist, and he squeezes gently before rolling his hips up into Steve, and oh. Oh,  _ yes,  _ Steve can get on board with that.

Steve kisses Bucky, who squeezes his waist again before bringing his other hand up to the back of Steve’s head. Steve whimpers into Bucky’s mouth and pulls back so he can trail kisses across Bucky’s jaw and down to his neck. Bucky groans and Steve sucks on that spot again before pulling away to whisper “let me” into Bucky’s ear.

Bucky nods and Steve kisses him again as he runs his hand down Bucky’s ribs then down his flank, stopping on his thigh where his chiton has ridden up. Steve pauses and breaks the kiss. He arches an eyebrow and Bucky nods his permission. Steve leans back a bit and watches his hand disappear under Bucky’s clothes.

The first thing Bucky says when he can breathe again is, “gods, I really love you.”

Steve’s smile is big and bright. “If I’d known that was the way to get a confession of love out of you, I’d have done it weeks ago.”

Bucky huffs a laugh and puts his hand on Steve’s chest. His smile turns lascivious. “My turn,” he purrs as he trails his fingers down.

The first thing Steve says when he can breathe again is, “gods, I really love you, too.”

 


	5. Boulder

Steve is in Bucky’s lap a few weeks later, slowly rolling his hips in a, frankly, filthy manner, not like Bucky is complaining. He couldn’t even if he wanted to, not with the way his mouth is attached to Steve’s neck like a lamprey. He’s running his hands slowly up and down Steve’s thighs under his chiton, Steve cursing him for being a tease, head thrown back, eyes closed tight. Steve feels Bucky reach out for his cock and bucks his hips up to try and get his hands on him already, Zeus’s  _ balls,  _ when he feels Bucky freeze.

Steve groans and grinds down harder. “Buck, come on, would you touch me already?”

“I can’t. There’s a goat watching us.”

“The goats watch us all the time. It’s never bothered you before.”

Bucky squeaks, he actually  _ squeaks, _ and Steve’s not sure he’s ever heard someone make that kind of sound before. He opens his eyes to see what’s freaking Bucky out and promptly also freezes.

One of the goats — Cedar, it looks like — is standing behind Bucky’s right shoulder, chewing on Bucky’s hair. Bucky’s eyes are twitching between Steve and the goat beside him, growing slightly wider each time he gets back to Steve.

“Okay, yeah, I see what you mean,” Steve sighs. “Cedar! Knock it off!”

Cedar grunts and steps closer to Bucky, tugging his hair a bit as she sucks more into her mouth to chew on.

“Oh, gross,” Bucky grumbles.

“Cedar!” Steve yells. “Get out of here!”

Cedar narrows her eyes and steps incrementally closer to Bucky.

“Oh, for the love of…” Steve huffs as he climbs off Bucky’s lap and chases the goat away. Far away. Very, very far away. “Where were we?” he smirks when he gets back and climbs onto Bucky again.

*****

The seasons change slowly. On Thassos. But they change. All the same. It’s been five. For Herder Steve. But Friend Bucky. Hasn’t noticed.

*****

Bucky finally convinces Sara to let him bring dinner for the whole family, so he loads up two baskets and heads down to Steve’s house. The villagers are used to him now and trust him, so he’s allowed to come to the house whenever he wants. He’d started helping make small repairs around the house months ago, which spread into helping the neighbors, which spread into helping the whole village. He likes the work, likes knowing he’s made a difference. The village children love him best, though, since he can always find their toys when they go missing.

No one else has lost anything in over a year.

Dinner is delicious and plentiful. Clint put away the leftovers an hour ago, and now everyone is sitting around the table talking and laughing. Bucky is embroidering a shawl for Natalia and Sam’s polishing some wood for a new tool handle. Steve laughs at something Clint says, and Bucky looks up at him. Steve is gorgeous when he’s happy like that, and Bucky thinks he’s never loved him more than he does in that moment.

The front door suddenly slams open and Crow swoops in, cawing as loud as Bucky’s ever heard her. He jumps to his feet, saying, “everyone get behind me and keep your mouths shut.”

“Bucky, what —” Steve tries to ask, but Bucky shushes him sharply and holds his arms out to make sure Steve and his family stay behind them. Crow settles on Bucky’s metal arm, quiet now. Bucky forces himself to take a deep breath and then another.

Apollo glides through the door before Bucky can exhale a third time, and he hears Sara gasp. He stands up straighter and watches as Apollo takes in the room, his eyes purposefully skipping over Steve’s family.

Apollo is glowing faintly, and Bucky grinds his teeth at the unnecessary demonstration of power. The air changes anywhere Apollo goes, an unmistakable charge that even mortals can feel. He doesn’t need to show off like this. Everyone always knows exactly who he is, and he knows it.

Apollo starts casually walking around the room, seemingly immune to the tension he’s created. He runs his fingers over Sara’s loom and through her basket of carded wool, leaving a trail of golden sparks behind that fade slowly like the embers of a dying fire. He makes a circuit around the room, picking up things here and there and examining them, the trail of sparks stretching behind him.

Bucky can feel Steve creeping forward behind him and angles his arm back to stop Steve from doing anything stupid. He probably doesn’t even know he’s moving, really, just letting the rage flow through his small body and carry him forth into danger.

Apollo finally looks over at Steve’s family. “Nice place,” he says drolly.

“What do you want?” Bucky asks, his voice tight.

“Oh, nothing, really. I just wanted to meet the people taking up so much of your godly time these days. You do know he’s a god, don’t you?” Apollo asks, looking past Bucky. “And that he’s slumming it down here with you?”

“We’ve already talked about this,” Bucky grits out. “There’s no rule against gods spending time with mortals. You do it yourself all the time.”

“Yes, I spend time amongst the mortals. But I don’t devote more than a year of my life to them. I don’t consider myself part of their family, their village. And I most certainly don’t fall in  _ love  _ with them.” Apollo pauses and sneers at Steve, who clenches his fists and glares back.

“I also don’t carouse with fugitive slaves. Did you know that’s what they are, here? A colony of fugitive slaves?”

“They’re not all fugitives,” Bucky grits out.

“Of course you knew.. That’s why Crow has been staying home when you come visit, isn’t it? So I couldn’t compel her to tell me where these mortals live. Slaves, Iákōbos. What are you, a lesser god, going to do when the slavers find them again? And they will, sooner or later, we both know that. Go ahead, tell me. Tell me what you can possibly do to protect them.”

“He’s done more for us and for our village than you have or ever will! And you’re supposed to be the protector of fugitives and refugees!” Steve shouts as he takes a step towards Apollo.

Sara gasps and pulls Steve to her, and Bucky stands taller as Apollo rounds on Steve and glares at him. Steve holds his ground, tilting his chin up and crossing his arms across his chest. Bucky’s metal arm starts whirring as it recalibrates and braces for a fight.

Bucky listens to the sound of his pounding heart, loud in his ears, as he waits to see what Apollo will do. The tension in the room snaps when Apollo huffs out a laugh and tilts his head, a genuine smile spreading across his face.

“I see why he likes you,” he tells Steve. He looks back to Bucky. “Be good, now,” he says menacingly before he disappears.

Bucky sags as Steve embraces him, his stomach flipping over itself, his arm recalibrating again as it returns to normal functioning status. Crow hops onto the back of a chair and caws softly. Steve’s family busy themselves with Crow, petting her gently and saying sweet things to her as they pointedly ignore Bucky and Steve clinging to each other in the middle of the room.

Bucky closes his eyes and lets himself feel Steve against him, feel how desperately he’s clutching Bucky, his hands buried in the fabric of Bucky’s chiton. Steve whimpers every time Bucky tries to draw back, so he runs his metal hand up and down Steve’s back and shushes him gently and clings back.

Eventually Bucky sighs and gently pulls Steve’s arms away from his body, removing himself from Steve’s grasp. His throat is tight, and he doesn’t see the point in trying to fight back his tears so he lets them fall freely.

“Don’t,” Steve chokes out around his own tears. “Please don’t.”

Bucky looks down on Steve and tries to smile, a small wobbly thing, as he brings his hands to Steve’s face and cups it gently, wiping away Steve’s tears with his thumbs. Steve closes his eyes and chokes out a sob as Bucky kisses his forehead.

“Thank you,” Bucky whispers and pops away.

He collapses to the floor when he gets back home and stays there for a very long time.

*****

“What just happened? Steve?” Sam asks, his voice thick with concern. Steve hides his face in his hands and shakes his head. His mother comes over to him and wraps her arms around him, leaning her head to rest on his. “I’m sorry,” she whispers, holding Steve as he sobs on her shoulder.

Crow grabs some cloth in her beak and flies it to Steve once he’s done crying. “Thanks,” he says, smiling weakly at her. She caws lightly and lands on the ground by his feet. Steve sighs heavily and plops down next to her on the ground. He reaches out his hand, and Crow tips her head into his fingers and moves her beak around his fingertips. He huffs but gets the picture and pets the feathers there. She caws at him and bobs her head.

“You’re a clever girl,” he says. He pets her for a while, staring at the wall with unseeing eyes. His family sits at the table, there if he needs them but not wanting to force Steve to talk if he doesn’t want to.  

“He’s not coming back, is he?” Steve asks Crow after a lengthy silence. She caws lightly and puts her wing on his leg. Steve nods and stands up. He walks to his room and closes the door gently behind him. Crow watches him go then caws at the rest of Steve’s family. Natalia gets up and opens the front door, and Crow flies out into the night sky.

*****

Bucky’s lying in a heap on the floor, his head buried in his arms, when Crow finds him just as the sun is rising. The flight from Thassos to Olympus took her all night, and she’s tired and hungry and thirsty, but Bucky looks so  _ miserable _ on the floor that she hops over to him and lays down on his back. He moans when he feels her settle in and she caws at him before resting her head down and falling asleep.

They’re both still on the floor when Crow wakes up, her stomach empty and angry about it. Bucky is sleeping, whimpering occasionally, but at least he’s asleep. Crow flies over to get some food and water and settles in to wait for Bucky to wake up.

The sun is three fingers in the sky when Bucky groans. He lifts his head and looks at Crow then groans again as he puts his head back down on his arms. Crow grabs some bread and grapes and flies over to Bucky, dropping the food by his face and tapping him on the head gently with her beak.

She chitters at Bucky’s muffled “no,” and taps harder. “No, Crow, I don’t want to,” he grouses. Crow persists, and Bucky sighs and sits up. He grabs the bread and grapes and scooches across the floor to lean against the wall. He eats his food begrudgingly, and Crow squawks at him but hops over to sit by him anyway.

They sit in silence for a while after Bucky’s done eating. He keeps opening and closing his fists, and Crow isn’t sure he even knows he’s doing it.

“I should have known better,” he whispers. “I never should have let myself get attached like that. Gods and mortals, we don’t mix, Crow. It never ends well, never. And even worse, I let myself fall in lo—” Bucky cuts himself off and shakes his head, closing his eyes as he leans his head back against the wall behind him. There are tears streaming down his cheeks now, but he doesn’t move to wipe them away. Crow wiggles her way up under Bucky’s metal arm, making him huff, but he starts stroking long strokes down her back anyway.

Apollo finds them together like that hours later. He stands quietly in the middle of the room and watches as Bucky slowly strokes down Crow’s back, his rhythm steady. He doesn’t bother to open his eyes when he says, “if you leave them alone, Apollo, I will too.” Apollo nods even though Bucky can’t see him. “I accept your terms,” he says. Bucky sighs as a new round of tears slide down his cheeks. Apollo leaves them be.

*****

Steve is sitting at the table while his mother weaves, staring into the hearth and watching the cooking flames dance along the logs. Sam is out with the goats today, his siblings all pitching in to tend to Steve’s duties.

“Mom, when you pray, is there…” Steve starts before trailing off. His mother continues weaving and waits to see if Steve will gather his thoughts enough to continue. He’s been scatterbrained and forgetful ever since Bucky left, which isn’t like him at all. She’s starting to get worried. It’s been a few weeks now, and she’s not sure how much longer the family can keep covering Steve’s workload for him.

“When you pray,” Steve tries again, “can I just talk to one god in particular or do I have to just pray and hope the god I’m talking to will hear me?”

Sara stops weaving and turns toward her son. He looks back at her, which she takes as a good sign. Eye contact from him has been few and far between lately. He looks terrible, though, his eyes sunken, dark purple smears underneath because he isn’t sleeping. He’s even thinner than usual, and he’s wheezing whenever he breathes in deeply. She smiles at him and comes to the table and sits across from him.

“You can do either, but I think it would be more prudent for you to just pray to one god in particular. If you want to do that, you just start your prayer with ‘I call to,’ and here you name your god, and then you say something about them like what their power is, followed by something you know about them that identifies them or why they’re important to you and is also a little flattering or amusing.”

“Okay. Thanks, mom.” Sara reaches her hand out, and Steve lets her take his hand and squeeze it gently. “I’ll take the goats out tomorrow.”

“You don’t have to do that.”

“No, I do. I know you’ve all been covering my work, and that’s not fair. It’s been long enough. It’s time to move on.”

“My darling boy, there’s no time limit on grief. You take all the time you need. Yes, it would be helpful for you to start doing your work again, but that doesn’t mean you have to put your feelings to the side and never speak of them again. I know it’s different for you, but we all miss him. We’re here for you if you want to talk about it. You don’t have to get by on your own.”

Steve looks up at his mother with a small smile and brushes the hair out of his eyes. “Thanks, mom.”

The goats are happily grazing a few days later, so Steve settles in under the shade of a tree and lets his mind wander. It turns to Bucky, as it’s wont to do these days, and Steve decides now’s as good a time as any to try that prayer his mom suggested.

“I call to Iákōbos, God of Lost Things…”

*****

Bucky’s sitting in his terrace garden staring at the flowers and the bees but not really seeing any of them when he feels the first tug in his chest.

_ “I call to Iákōbos, God of Lost Things…” _

It’s been ages since anyone’s prayed to him, and he’s forgotten the thrill of it, how the words pull at him and dance through his body and over his ribs. It will be nice to listen to a prayer, maybe go find a lost item, and not think about Steve for a little while.

_ “...finder of items dear and mundane, and the keeper of my heart. My Bucky.” _

“Oh, no. Oh, this is very bad.” Bucky leans over and covers his ears with his hands, knowing it won’t make a difference; he’ll still be able to hear whatever Steve has to say. It helps anyway somehow.

_ “I don’t know if you can hear me, and I feel a little ridiculous doing this, honestly, but…” _ Steve pauses and sighs. Bucky can picture him; he’s probably sitting outside somewhere in the shade, running his hand through his hair because he feels silly and running his hand through his hair always grounds him when he’s nervous about something.

_ “...but it’s not like I have anything to lose by doing this, I guess. You’re gone and not coming back, so I might as well talk at you. Maybe it will help, I don’t know. I do know what you’re doing, Buck. You’re trying to protect us from Apollo by staying away. And I know you think that’s the right thing to do, but I don’t give a flying fig about Apollo, Bucky. I just want you to come _ back.”

Steve’s voice cracks, and Bucky can hear him take a shuddering breath before continuing.

_ “I love you and I miss you, so will you _ please  _ just come back? I don’t know if I can…”  _ Steve makes a wounded noise and stops himself again. Bucky waits to see what he’ll say next, but the tug on his chest disappears, putting an end to Steve’s prayer. Bucky moves his hands from his ears to his face and leans down and lets himself cry.

Crow comes over and sits with Bucky as he cries. He takes a deep breath and looks up at her, drying his tears with the hem of his chiton. “He’s praying to me now, Crow.” She lets out a sympathetic caw. “I don’t know if I can do this, listen to his prayers like this and not go down and beg him for forgiveness and kiss him senseless. He sounds _ miserable, _ and I did that to him. I did that. This is  _ agony, _ Crow.”

*****

_ “I call to Iákōbos, God of Lost Things, finder of items dear and mundane, and the keeper of my heart. My Bucky. It took the goats a month to stop looking around for you. Remember how they used to whip their heads around every once in a while to see if you’d popped up? And Honey used to throw her head too fast and would fall over? They don’t do it anymore. Not even Honey. _

_ “Sam watched the herd for me for two weeks after you left, wasn’t that kind of him? My whole family pitched in and took on my chores for me because I was too...Well. Speaking of Sam, you leaving made him realize that life is too short to waste time, so he finally asked Maria if she’d like to be courted. She said yes, of course. Sam’s been over the moon about it, and I’m so happy for him. Jealous as all Hades, but happy too. It’s only a matter of time before they get married, just you wait and see.” _

*****

_ “I call to Iákōbos, God of Lost Things, finder of items dear and mundane, and the keeper of my heart. My Bucky. All the goats kidded safely this year. I was worried about Boulder, but she made it through okay. Her kid is the most adorable thing, you’d love her. I named her Sandal. She has spots on her face that make it look like she’s wearing a mask around her eyes, it’s so cute. Remember how soft their ears are when they’re young? Sandal loves ear rubs.  _

_ “The village children keep asking me where you are. You should hear their parents shush them if they hear. You’d laugh if it wasn’t so tragic. I think the kids are all tired of looking for their lost toys on their own. I thought about telling them they could pray to you, but I decided not to. I didn’t want them to be disappointed when you didn’t show up to help. I think they miss you as much as I do, if that’s possible.” _

_ ***** _

_ “I call to Iákōbos, God of Lost Things, finder of items dear and mundane, and the keeper of my heart. My Bucky. Clint surprised all of us by getting married before Sam and Maria. ‘When you know, you know,’ he said. He’s not wrong. It’s how I feel about you. Anyway, he’s moving out next week. You’d like his wife, Lavra. She and Natalia get along like thieves, you should see them together. It’s terrifying. And amazing. Sam says he’s going to marry Maria next month, so we have that to look forward to now. _

_ I hope you’re well up there on Olympus. Say hello to Crow for me.” _

_ ***** _

_ “I call to Iákōbos, God of Lost Things, finder of items dear and mundane. Sam got married last week, so everyone here is happy and in love, and I’m so  _ angry _ at you. I’m so gods damned  _ angry _ that you left me behind like what we had didn’t matter, like it was so  _ easy _ for you to just go back to your stupid mountain and break my heart. I  _ hate _ you. And I hate myself even more because I can’t stop loving you. I just want to stop loving you.” _

_ ***** _

_ “I call to Iákōbos, God of Lost Things, finder of items dear and mundane, and the keeper of my heart. My Bucky. I’m sorry about my prayer last week. I had too much wine with dinner, and I let myself get carried away. I don’t hate you, Bucky. I could never hate you. I love you too much for that. I’m just...lonely, I guess. Sam moved out, and I think Natalia will before the harvest, and it will just be my mom and me in our house. That will take some getting used to. It’s hard when the house is empty because there’s nothing to distract me and my thoughts inevitably run to you. I wonder if you still think about me.” _

_ ***** _

_ “I call to Iákōbos, God of Lost Things, finder of items dear and mundane, and the keeper of my heart. My Bucky. I know it’s been a few months, but I’ve been busy down here; there’s so much to do that I hardly have a minute to think. _

_ “That’s not true. I have lots of time to think, and we both know it. I just — it still hurts to think about you, and I’m getting tired of hurting. So I try to think about other things if I can. Sometimes it even works.” _

_ ***** _

_ “I call to Iákōbos, God of Lost Things, finder of items dear and mundane, and the keeper of my heart. _

_ Hey, Bucky, I know it’s been a while. I just...well. It hurts too much to think about you, to talk to you. I think about you anyway, of course. I hope you’re happy, though. I hope that much.  _

_ “It’s been a year now since you left. I don’t know if you feel the time pass the way I do, but I hope you don’t. This has been the worst year of my life. I hope it’s been a blink for you and not...not like it was for me. I don’t cry every night anymore, so that’s good, at least. _

_ “It’s just me and my mom in our house now. We had a doctor move to the village, Brutus Bannerius is his name, and Nat fell for him. You’d like him. He’s kind and gentle and loves Nat something fierce. Nat keeps hinting that maybe it’s time for me to try and meet someone, too, but I don’t think she really means it. We both know it’s not going to happen anyway. You were it for me, and there’s not really any coming back from that. _

_ “I don’t want you to worry about me, though, all right? I’ll be okay. I mean, of course I miss you, and I’ll love you for the rest of my gods damned life, but I’ll be okay. It’s amazing what you can get used to living with if you try. _

_ “Take care of yourself, will you? Let Crow help, too. She’s your friend and she wants to help, I know she does. Don’t forget to eat, and keep exploring. I know both of you enjoy that. I want you to have good things in your life, Bucky, I really do. Even if that means... _

_ “I’m not going to pray to you anymore after this. I don’t even know if you can hear me, or if you ever could. I’m not sure which is worse, you being able to hear everything I’ve said and not doing anything about it or me shouting into the void like the stubborn fool I am. Either way, it’s not helping either of us, really, so no point in continuing. _

_ “I wish I could see you one more time. Just once more, Bucky, please. I need… _

_ “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean that. I know you’re not coming. I shouldn’t ask, that’s not fair to you. You have your reasons for staying away. Just...Just know that I’m here if you ever change your mind. You know where to find me. I’ll be waiting.” _

*****

Friend Bucky. Hated the prayers. They were too hard. To hear. But the silence. The silence. Is worse. He sits on the balcony. And stares out. Across the sea. And aches. To hear his love. Just one more time.


	6. Honey

Crow does her best in the months after Steve stops praying, but she’s just one bird and nothing she tries seems to help Bucky at all. He’s completely despondent. So she calls in the big gun.

Apollo sighs and rolls his eyes at Crow before knocking on Bucky’s front door. She seems to think it’s important that Apollo be polite, for some reason, and he doesn’t know why he’s indulging her frivolity. Well, that’s not strictly true. She’d cawed in his ear for an hour straight before he finally gave in and said he would use the front door, and he’d rather not go through  _ that  _ again if he can help it.

He doesn’t hear anything inside the house, so he knocks again and waits for Bucky to come answer the door. Or shout at him to come in. Or give any indication that it’s okay for him to enter the house. Nothing happens. He looks at Crow and raises an eyebrow, and she caws and bobs her head. He hums and opens the door.

To say the house is a mess would be generous. There’s dust and crumbs on all the surfaces, bits of food strewn here and there. All of the living quarters on Olympus are enchanted so their owners can clean them with a thought, so why hasn’t Bucky done that? In months, it looks like. Apollo scrunches up his nose as he looks around the house and finds mess after mess after mess. What is going  _ on? _

“Iákōbos?” he calls out. “Where are you?” He gets no answer. He looks at Crow, who shakes her head at him and caws to follow her out into the terrace gardens. They’re in complete disarray: the grape vines are growing out of control, there’s rotting fruit lying under the fruit trees, the flowers have completely overgrown their pots and are spilling out onto the ground, the bees are sitting on the ground outside their hives because the comb is so full of honey that there’s no room for the bees themselves, the basil is flowering, and the other herbs have been choked out by the mint, which has taken over the herb bed. Apollo frowns at the nigh-unkillable mint, bane of the untended garden. This isn’t like Iákōbos at all. He  _ loves _ his little house and his garden.

“You were right to bring me here. Take me to him, Crow,” Apollo asks gently, concern in his voice. Crow caws and flies over to the balcony. Bucky’s sitting there staring out across the sea, unseeing, like he does every day. He doesn’t acknowledge Apollo or Crow at all, not when Apollo calls his name, not when he puts his hand on his shoulder, not even when he gives him a little shake. He just keeps looking out over the sea, barely even blinking against the brightness of the sun.

Apollo shares a glance with Crow and goes back into Bucky’s house and cleans it with a thought. He goes back into the gardens and sets them to right. Crow caws at him after he’s done. “I will,” Apollo promises. “Let’s go now.”

*****

Steve’s laughing at something Maria said, enjoying their weekly family dinner, the one time during the week when the house is full again with Steve’s siblings and their partners, when Crow bursts through the front door. Steve’s on his feet like a shot. 

“Crow, what’s wrong? Is it Bucky? Is he sick or hurt or…” he trails off, not able to bring his thought to its conclusion. She caws at him, and Steve feels panic rising from his belly and into his chest. Movement at the front door catches his eye, and he looks up as Apollo walks into the house.

Steve can barely make out the gasps behind him over the sound of blood rushing in his ears. He’s full of rage suddenly, incandescent with it, and he starts walking toward Apollo with his fists clenched. “You’re not welcome here.” he spits out. “What do you want? Did you hurt Bucky? If you did, I swear to all the gods that I will —”

Apollo holds up his hand and Steve freezes. Apollo looks at him, really looks, and then takes in the rest of his family, who have also made their way closer to Apollo in support of Steve, despite the danger Apollo presents. He’s impressed by their verve.

“Did Iákōbos ever tell you how he got his metal arm?” he asks.

Steve blinks at the sudden subject change. “What?”

“Did Iákōbos ever tell you how he got his metal arm?” Apollo repeats patiently.

“No, he didn’t. But that’s his story to tell, not yours.”

“Well, he’s not here, so I’m going to tell it.” Apollo clears his throat before looking around the room to make sure he has everyone’s undivided attention. Discovering that he does, he nods and starts talking.

“Over a thousand years ago, Iákōbos lived at the top of Olympus with the rest of the gods, though he was but a lesser god. He’s kind and sweet, helpful by nature, and not threatening to any godly egos, so he was universally beloved. In fact, for a brief time, he and I were —“ Apollo cuts himself off and looks at Steve apologetically. “Well, that’s neither here nor there.

“One day Hera came to him to help find a necklace she had lost. She didn’t wear it often, but she was fond of it all the same as it had been a gift from Zeus. She asked Bucky to find it for her, and he did: around the neck of a mortal woman who Zeus had fallen in love with. This sent Hera into a rage, which pissed off Zeus because he hated it when Hera raged at him — still does, by the way — but instead of getting mad at his wife or at himself for being an asshole, he gets pissed at  _ Iákōbos _ because Hera never would have known about the mortal woman if he hadn’t found the necklace. Which makes no sense whatsoever, but that’s Zeus for you.

“So Zeus flies off the handle and breaks out the lightning and zaps Iákōbos in the chest and shoulder with a frankly alarming amount of lightning, which causes him to fall from Olympus to the ground below.” Apollo pauses to look at Steve, who’s gone pale and is rubbing at the webbing between his thumb and forefinger nervously.

“Dick move by Zeus. We were all pretty pissed at him for that. Anyway, I sent my crows out to find him, and the bird you inventively call Crow is the one who found him. She came back and told me where he was, so I went down the mountain to him. He was still alive, of course, but his left arm was beyond even my abilities to heal, and anyway, my powers work much better on humans than they do on gods. There was nothing I could do for him except to amputate his arm, so that’s what I did.

“When his arm stump healed, I took him to Hephaestus, who cast a bronze arm. Between the two of us we managed to enchant it so it functions as a normal arm. Well, he can’t feel temperature or texture really, but otherwise it’s good. Once he had his arm, he decided he didn’t want to live on top of Olympus anymore, and I didn’t blame him, so I helped him build his little house down the mountain with his terrace garden and his balcony that overlooks the sea in the distance. He stopped talking to the rest of the gods, and we left him alone for the most part. Crow wanted to stay with him, so I told her whenever she wasn’t working with me, she could be with him.

“And that’s how it went for a thousand years. I would check in on him from time to time, and he was content. A little lonely, but he learned that the gods couldn’t be trusted, so he kept away. I learned that falling in love with mortals ends in disaster. And then you came along, with your goats and your floppy hair. And he fell for you. Not literally this time, but he fell all the same, and I got scared. So I meddled.

“Which was a Big Mistake, let me tell you, because Iákōbos is  _ miserable. _ I’ve never seen him like this. He wasn’t even  _ close _ to this bad when we broke up, and I am…” Apollo gestures up and down his body at himself. “So I’m going to fix this. I’m going to make this right for him. Because he deserves to be happy, and you, Steve, make him happy.”

Apollo walks over to Steve, stopping when he’s within arm’s reach. Steve looks slightly confused but also hopeful,  _ really  _ hopeful, and it settles something in Apollo’s chest.

“Do you love him?” he asks softly.

Steve nods. “With all my heart,” he says simply.

Apollo nods back. “I can tell.” He reaches out and brushes the hair away from Steve’s forehead and looks him over before placing his right hand on top of Steve’s head.

“Uhh…” Steve says before Apollo shushes him.

“Be still and quiet for a moment, will you, please?”

Steve obeys, then gasps when Apollo’s hand starts glowing softly. Whatever Apollo’s doing tingles a bit, and Steve bites his lip to keep from making noise.

Apollo grunts and removes his hand from Steve’s head, the glow fading.

“How are you still alive?” he asks, incredulous. “Your heart is crap, your lungs are worse, and your spine is as crooked as a drawn bow. I don’t understand how you’re even upright right now.”

“Mostly spite,” Sam says over Steve’s shoulder.

Steve whips his head around to glare at his brother, but Apollo sighs and nods. “I believe that.”

He starts rubbing his hands together, the glow returning and intensifying. “Brace yourself, Steve, because this is going to hurt.”

“Wait, what?” Steve says as Apollo thrusts his hands forward and wraps his hands around Steve’s ribs.

And wow, he was not kidding about the pain. Steve’s used to living in pain; like Apollo said, his body is a mess at the best of times, so he always has some twinge here or there, a mild headache or sore joints. But this. This is  _ excruciating _ . He grits his teeth and closes his eyes and tries to breathe through it, groaning when he can’t keep silent any longer. Lavra shouts to Apollo to stop, but Steve grits out, “no, don’t! I can do this!” Apollo coos at him a little bit for his bravery and keeps going.

The light around Apollo’s hands keeps intensifying, and Steve’s groans are getting louder. “Almost done,” Apollo grunts. Steve’s starting to think maybe Lavra was right when there’s a blinding burst of light and the pain stops abruptly. Apollo is panting as he steps away from Steve.

“A little damn warning would have been nice — oh, wow, is this what it’s like to take a full breath? Holy shit, look at how colorful everything is! What does it look like outside?!?”

Steve sprints to the front door and throws himself through it before grinding to a halt and sheepishly walking back inside. “Right, it’s dark outside. Nighttime and all.”

Apollo chuckles at him. “You can take it all in tomorrow. This is a permanent fix. I won’t promise you won’t catch whatever diseases you mortals are wont to catch, but at least you’re starting on a level playing field now. Oh, and since your body was expending so much damn energy just staying alive, you’re most definitely going to have a marked increase in appetite and experience some major growth spurts. So here, have this.” Apollo holds out his hand and a basket appears out of nowhere. Steve takes it from him, his face crinkled in confusion.

“Thank you,” he says hesitantly.

Apollo rolls his eyes but smiles. “It’s an enchanted food basket. Whatever you want to eat will appear in there. So you don’t eat your family out of house and home as you’re growing. Oh, and I almost forgot. Everyone please close your eyes and stay silent for a moment.”

Steve’s mother comes over to stand by him and wraps her arm around his shoulder, giving it a quick squeeze, before closing her eyes. The rest of the family follows suit.

Apollo starts chanting under his breath, and the air in the room grows thicker and thicker. Steve swallows reflexively and feels his ears pop as the pressure increases. Apollo stops chanting, takes a deep breath, and claps his hands together loudly. That breaks the pressure in the room and sends a wave of air rushing away from him in a circle. The force of it knocks everyone off their feet, except for Apollo, who’s standing in the middle of the room with a smug look on his face.

“What was that?” Natalia asks as she leans on Brutus’s offered arm and pulls herself off the floor, dusting off her skirt as she stands.

“That was a protection spell for your village. No one who harbors ill intent toward the village itself or any of the people who reside here will be able to enter. You can expand as far as you want and the spell will hold.”

Sara walks up to Apollo and holds out her hand to him. “Thank you,” she says simply but full of gratitude. Apollo takes her hand in both of his and nods his head at her.

“You totally didn’t have to do all the theatrics for it to work, though, did you?” Steve asks, a wry smile on his face.

“Stephanos!” his mother admonishes, but Apollo smiles at Steve and touches the side of his nose with his index finger.

“And with that I shall take my leave. Good fortune to you all.” Apollo walks to the door of the house, stopping in the doorway as he turns to stand sideways and call back into the room.

“Did you know that if you build a temple out of stone — any size, big or small — put an effigy of a god on an altar, dedicate the temple to that god, and then pray to said god, that the god in question will be compelled to show up? It’s especially difficult for lesser gods to refuse the pull of that prayer. Just a curious fact, don’t you think?” He winks at Steve, who lights up with this newfound information, and steps out the door and disappears.

Steve turns toward his family. They look at him expectantly as he opens and closes his mouth a few times. The words never come, but tears do, so his mother consoles him as she gently guides him toward a chair and has him sit at the table.

“Anyone know how to build a temple?” Clint asks.

“I expect it’s just like building a house, but a fancier version,” Sam says, and they’re off and making plans for building a temple. Steve sits and listens and cries, wrung out and overwhelmed with gratitude.

It turns out building a temple isn’t as easy as it seems when you’re sitting around a table making plans, but once word gets around the village that Apollo has blessed them with protection, the villagers think it’s only right that they pitch in to help Steve build his temple. Progress is slow because there is always more urgent work to be done, and lives to live, but every day the little temple grows, stone by chiseled stone. Steve is reborn with his hope; it grows steadily, just like his temple.

Apollo wasn’t kidding about Steve’s appetite or his growth; his mother prays to Apollo in thanks every day for the enchanted basket and silently wonders if Apollo accidentally gave him a second stomach he eats so much. He grows a whole foot in two months, and quarrying, carrying, chiseling, and placing stone blocks really develops your muscles if Steve’s any indication. By the time the temple is constructed, Steve’s practically a new person.

The whole family is gathered at Sara and Steve’s house for a celebratory dinner the night before the temple dedication ceremony. Steve is subdued, his smile not quite reaching his eyes, and his siblings trade glances as they notice. They send their spouses home after dinner and hang back to talk to their brother. Sara stands on her tiptoes and kisses Steve’s cheek, muttering “I may never get used to that” as she leaves her children to talk amongst themselves.

Steve huffs and looks at them all. “What’s going on? Is everything okay?”

Sam snorts. “That’s what  _ we _ want to know. Are you okay, Steve? We kind of thought you’d be more excited than this.”

“I  _ am  _ excited! I am. It’s just…” Steve shrugs his shoulder as he falls silent.

“Nervous?” Clint supplies.

“ _ Yes, _ ” Steve sighs. “It’s been two years since he left, and look at me! I look so different. What if he doesn’t recognize me or doesn’t want me like this? Or what if he’s found someone else and —”

Steve’s voice breaks. He shakes his head and lowers his chin, squeezing his eyes shut tight to keep his tears from falling.

Natalia steps in front of Steve and tilts his chin up so she can see his face. “Hey, look at me,” she says gently. Steve shakes his head and squeezes his eyes tighter. Nat huffs out a laugh and pokes him in the chest.

“Come on, Steve, look at me.” She pokes him again. “I’m going to keep poking you until you open your eyes and look at me, so you might as well just do it now and get it over with.”

Steve rolls his eyes behind his eyelids but does what she asked. Nat sighs and cups his cheek gently because Steve looks absolutely terrified, poor thing.

“It’s going to be okay. It is. Bucky loves you, Steve. He loved you when you were skinny and sick and he’s going to love you now that you’re not. It doesn’t matter what you look like, okay? It doesn’t matter how long it’s been. What’s two years to someone who’s been alive for more than a thousand, anyway?”

Steve groans at that. “We were together for less than two years, Nat. We’ve been apart longer than we were together. So if two years is nothing to Bucky, what’s less than two years worth?”

“...Okay, that was a bad example,” Nat says as Steve groans again. “The point is he’s still in love with you, Steve.”

Steve shakes his head again. “You don’t know that for sure.”

“Well, I have a pretty damn good hunch. Apollo never would have gone to all this trouble if Bucky had moved on and didn’t care about you anymore.”

“That is actually a pretty good point,” Steve concedes.

“I know it’s scary. But I have faith in Bucky. He’s going to be so happy to see you, Steve, and know that you’re safe and healthy and that you two have Apollo’s blessing.”

“Yeah?” Steve whispers, his mouth quirking up into a shy smile.

“Yeah,” Sam and Clint say.

Nat nods and smiles. “Oh, I almost forgot! Stay right here, I have something for you.”

She goes into Sara’s bedroom and comes back with a folded white cloth. “Here, I made this for you,” she says, holding out the cloth to Steve.

He furrows his brow and takes it from Nat, unfolding it and shaking it out. It’s a new chiton, cut to fit his larger body. The cloth is sumptuous and feels amazing. The weave is finer than anything their mother has ever woven, and finer than anything anyone in their village has ever woven besides. It feels familiar somehow, but Steve can’t figure out why.

“Nat, where did you get this cloth? It feels almost like…” He looks up sharply when he remembers where he’s felt cloth like this before.

Nat beams at him. “It’s the cloth Bucky gave me the first time he came for dinner.”

“Nat, he wanted you to use that to make something for yourself,” Steve admonishes.

“Well, I used it to make something that I  _ wanted _ to make, which is nearly the same thing. I wanted him to lose his mind a little bit when he saw you again, so.” She waves her hand at Steve and smiles again.

“Thank you,” Steve says, his voice thick with gratitude. He wraps his arm around his sister and holds her tight.

“You big sap,” she says, but she hugs back tighter. “Now go try it on. I want to make sure it fits.”

Steve’s up before the sun the next day and watches the sun rise. He was too nervous to sleep well, dozing on and off throughout the night. He manages a few bites of fruit and bread for breakfast before his nerves catch up with him. It feels a bit like before Apollo healed him, when his stomach would sometimes just revolt against him. It leaves Steve feeling unsettled.

The goats pick up on his mood as he milks and waters and feeds them. They butt their heads against Steve’s legs until he stops to pet their heads and scratch around their horns. Honey doesn’t let him leave until he’s rubbed her ears for at least fifteen minutes. By the time she finally lets him stop petting her, Steve feels much better. He kisses her forehead in thanks and laughs when she bleats in his face.

He goes home and washes off the goat smell and changes into the fine chiton Natalia made for him. His mother hands him a cup and tells him to take a drink, so he gulps down some wine before heading back outside. Clint is waiting for him in the yard. He smiles and picks up the handles of the hand cart he’s pulling. There’s a blanket covering a two-foot high piece of slender limestone. Steve raises his eyebrows expectantly. “Is that —”

“Yeah, it’s the statue of Bucky. I finished it last night.”

Steve goes to lift up the blanket to take a peek, and Clint slaps his hand away. “No! Bad Steve! You can see it when we put it in the temple. I don’t want to spoil the surprise.” Steve rolls his eyes and smiles.

“Fine. Let’s get going, then.”

Steve, Clint, and Sara head off toward the temple. Villagers join in the procession as they pass, as do the rest of Steve’s extended family. Over half the village ends up outside the temple once they arrive, and Steve’s touched that so many people took the time to come.

A hush falls over the crowd, and they turn to Steve expectantly. “Oh, right,” he says and stands on the lowest step into the temple, facing the crowd. He clears his throat and wipes his hands on his chiton and takes a deep breath.

“First I want to thank everyone for coming today. It means more than I can say that you’ve all helped build this little temple, and that you’re here today. No matter what happens after we dedicate the temple, we’ve built something extraordinary together. I hope that you’re all as proud of yourselves as I am of you. And I hope you don’t mind if that’s the end of my speech because I’m incredibly nervous right now.”

The crowd chuckles at him, one person shouting out “go get him, Steve!” which draws more laughter. Steve laughs and raises his hand to acknowledge the joke. Sam and Clint unwrap the statue Clint carved and bring it over to Steve. He gasps softly because it really is an incredible likeness. The limestone carving is amazing in its own right, but the way Clint painted the statue makes it look remarkably like Bucky. Clint’s smiling when Steve looks up at him, a hint of pink coloring his cheeks.

“Clint, this is incredible,” Steve whispers, awed by Clint’s talent. “Thank you so much.” Clint shrugs like it’s nothing, but he’s clearly pleased by Steve’s reaction.

“Let’s do this already. This thing is getting heavy,” Sam gripes goodnaturedly. Steve huffs and turns to address the crowd again.

“We, the villagers of Maries, dedicate this temple to Iákōbos, the God of Lost Things, and our friend Bucky,” Steve says solemnly.

The villagers are quiet for a moment before Sam quips, “is that it?”

Steve shrugs. “I don’t know, it’s not like I’ve ever dedicated a temple to a god before.”

Clint laughs as he and Sam turn to carry the statue into the temple. Steve disperses the crowd after thanking them again and joins his brothers inside. They’ve placed the effigy statue in an alcove behind the altar. Steve tries to light some of the oil lamps but his hands are shaking too badly and he gives up. Sam takes the flint from his hand and lights the lamps instead. When he’s done, he pats Steve on the shoulder and pulls Clint out of the temple with him.

Steve watches them go and turns back to the statue of Bucky, takes a deep breath, and gathers his thoughts.

“I call to Iákōbos, God of Lost Things, finder of items dear and mundane, and the keeper of my heart. My Bucky.”

*****

Bucky is exploring the countryside around Sparta with Crow when he hears someone who sounds an awful lot like Steve invoke his name in prayer. But that can’t be right because Steve said he was done praying, and that was a year ago, and holy Hades, what is  _ that?!?  _

Bucky doubles over, clutching his stomach, as his torso is overcome with a sudden and irresistible urge to be somewhere  _ else: _ specifically wherever the person praying is. It’s like there’s an invisible line connecting him to this other person, and the longer Bucky resists the pull, the more it starts to hurt.

Crow flaps over and lands on his shoulder, cawing her concern at him. “I don’t know, girl, but I need to go, okay? I just need to go.” She caws again as she lands on Bucky’s shoulder, and he stops fighting and lets himself be pulled.

He lands on his feet inside a small stone building, stumbling a bit before he catches his balance. Crow flies up to the roof, cawing loudly, the sound echoing around the room and hurting Bucky’s ears. He covers them with his hands and shouts for Crow to calm down, but she doesn’t listen.

“Crow, please!” he shouts as he tries to wrangle Crow down from the ceiling.

“Bucky?” he hears behind him, quiet under the din of Crow’s continued cawing. Bucky turns around and looks at the man standing against the wall of the building. He’s tall and broad and sinfully handsome from what Bucky can see of it in the flickering light. His face is open and vulnerable and hopeful. He looks vaguely familiar but Bucky’s not sure why. Crow falls silent and comes down to perch on Bucky’s metal shoulder.

“Yeah, that’s me. Who the hell are you?”

The man’s face crumples, and Bucky feels a pang in his chest. He wants to wipe that look off the man’s face, but he doesn’t even  _ know _ this guy, so why the hell is he reacting this way? He lives on Olympus where pretty faces are a dime a dozen. What is it about this man that’s affecting him so viscerally?

The man takes a step closer and visibly steels himself against what he’s about to say next. “It’s me, Buck. I know it’s been a while, but I didn’t think —”

“Steve?!” Bucky cries. That’s Steve’s voice, no doubt about it, but what happened to his body? “Is that you?”

Steve lights up and takes another step closer. “Yeah, Buck. It’s me.” He’s smiling now and reaching his hand out to Bucky, who flinches and takes a step back. Steve’s smile fades as he drops his hand.

“Steve, please don’t. You know we can’t. It’s too dangerous. If Apollo found out —”

“Bucky, Apollo is the one who did this to me.”

“He WHAT?!”

“No, not like that.” Steve huffs in frustration. “Look, he came down to visit my family one evening while we were all gathered for dinner, yeah? Says he’s made a mistake splitting us up and wants to fix it. The first thing he does is heals me; no more bad lungs and heart, no more crooked spine. I can see colors now and everything. I can see the color of your eyes, Bucky, and they’re beaut—” Steve covers his mouth and cuts himself off. Bucky takes an unconscious step towards him, hating to see Steve in pain like this.

“He said my body was going to course correct and grow, so he gave us an enchanted food basket, and he was right. I grew like crazy. The second thing he did was place a protective enchantment over the whole village so that no one with ill intent would ever be able to find it. We’re safe, Bucky. The whole village is safe. We don’t have to worry about Apollo anymore. I mean, he gave us his blessing for all intents and purposes when he — mmf!”

Bucky launches himself at Steve, cutting him off with a ferocious kiss. Steve catches Bucky and hoists him up by the thighs. Bucky whines and wraps his legs around Steve’s waist and his arms around Steve’s neck without breaking the kiss. They kiss until they’re breathless and Steve has to pull back. Bucky latches on to Steve’s jaw, making Steve moan loudly. It echoes around the temple, and Bucky thinks he’s never heard a better noise in his entire  _ life _ and tries to get Steve to do it again.

Crow makes a sort of coughing sound and Steve freezes. “I get what you meant about the goats watching us,” he says. Bucky cracks up and buries his face against Steve’s neck as he laughs. Steve starts laughing, too, and says “gods, you’re heavy,” around a smile. He puts Bucky down and runs his fingers through the bottom of Bucky’s hair. “Hi,” he whispers, suddenly shy.

Bucky smiles and leans in for a sweet kiss before pulling back again. “Gods, Steve, I missed you so much. I never thought we’d —” Steve puts a finger over Bucky’s lips and stops him.

“I know. But we’re here now, okay? I’m yours if you still want me.”

Bucky rests his forehead against Steve’s. “Always.”

Once they’re finally able to stop touching and whispering little endearments to each other, Bucky starts looking around the building. He sees his statue and the altar, takes in the shape of the building.

“Steve, is this a temple? Did you build me a temple?” Before Steve can answer, Bucky gasps when he notices there are crows carved at random intervals on the walls.  _ “You built me a temple and included Crow, I can’t believe you, I love you so much _ ,” he hisses as he pounces on Steve again.

“Wait, how did you know that building me a temple would work?” Bucky asks when he surfaces.

“Oh, Apollo told me. Remember when I said that he came and healed me and protected our village?” Bucky grunts his assent.

“On his way out of the house, he paused and said that if I built a temple and dedicated it to you and put in an effigy of you and then prayed to you, that you’d be compelled to show up here. I know it was extreme, but I didn’t know any other way to get through to you.”

“You didn’t think to just, oh, I don’t know, tell me in a prayer?”

“You hadn’t answered any of my other prayers! I didn’t know if you could even hear me!” Steve counters.

“Okay, that is a fair point. Wait, how long ago was this?”

“Um, a year or so.”

“You’ve been building this temple for a year —”

“Not just me. The whole village helped out. Clint made your effigy statue by the way.”

“It’s very nice, actually. I’ll have to thank him when I see him next.”

“Isn’t it? I was kind of surprised when he volunteered to take on the job, and a little apprehensive, but it turned out great.”

“It did. Also not the point right now.”

“Sorry.”

“It’s okay, honey. Where was I? Oh, right. If you spent an entire year on this project, why didn’t Apollo just come talk to me and tell me what was going on? That would have saved you an awful lot of effort.”

“Uhhhhh…” Steve stops and really thinks about Bucky’s point. “You know, I’m not sure. Damn it, you’re right! Why didn’t he just say something to you?”

“Because I wanted to test Steve’s devotion,” Apollo says from across the room.

“Aaaah!” Bucky and Steve scream in unison.

“Holy Hades, is that what it’s like when I just pop in places? That is  _ terrible, _ I’m so sorry, Steve.” Bucky says.

“What’s this about testing my devotion?” Steve asks Apollo.

“Ah, yes. I just wanted to be extra sure that you were willing to do whatever it took to get Bucky back. And you were, so congratulations, you’re perfect for him.”

“Yeah, but we lost a whole year of time together, Apollo. And I don’t think I need to tell you what a miserable year it’s been,” Bucky chides.

“I know, and I’m sorry for that, but I had to be sure. To make it up to you, how about another boon for Steve?”

Bucky looks at Steve and smiles gently at him. Steve shrugs his shoulders and says, “sure, why not?”

“Excellent,” Apollo says, rubbing his hands together until they glow. He walks over to Steve and places his hands on his shoulders.

“Steve, you will live your full mortal life here on Earth with Bucky by your side. And when you die, you will ascend to Olympus and be granted eternal youth, living the rest of your godly days as the God of Found Things.”

Steve gasps and covers his mouth as he’s enveloped in Apollo’s golden light. “ _ Thank you, _ ” he says reverently when the light fades.

“You are most welcome, Steve,” Apollo says, a smile splitting his face.

“God of Found Things, huh? Bit on the nose, isn’t it?” Bucky teases.

“Hush, you,” Apollo teases back and winks. “And with that, I shall take my leave.”

“Yes, please,” Bucky says. “Steve and I were about to defile my temple.”

“Pfft, like I’ve never defiled a temple before. Anyway, if you do it right, it’s more like a benediction.”

“Hear that, Steve? Let’s bless this temple.”

Steve laughs and leans in to kiss Bucky. Crow happily caws at them.

“Come on, Crow. I’ll give you a lift back to Olympus.” Crow butts her head against Apollo’s and perches on his shoulder as he pops away.

*****

Friend Steve. Died today. His hair not yet. Fully gray. A mortal life. Is rich and full. But short. Friend Bucky is sad. But also glad. He will see Friend Steve. Very soon. He will be young. And Healthy. And full of life again. Friend Bucky will teach him. How to give me scritches. And to feed me grapes. We three will be happy. For as long. As there are Lesser Gods. And then beyond.

  
  
  
  



End file.
